Ecological surveys in Edinburgh
If your planning application in Edinburgh involves land, trees, hedgerows, ponds or older buildings, the City of Edinburgh Council will usually want ecological surveys before it decides. We can introduce you to one vetted ecologist who covers your site in Edinburgh.
Beatrice Vasey is a horticulturist, not an ecological consultancy. We introduce you to one vetted ecologist and are paid a referral fee by that business.
Planning and biodiversity in Edinburgh
- Planning decisions
- Planning applications in Edinburgh are decided by the City of Edinburgh Council, which publishes its own guidance on biodiversity and ecology in planning.
- Biodiversity rules
- Biodiversity enhancement under NPF4. Policy 3 of National Planning Framework 4 requires all development to contribute to enhancing biodiversity, with significant enhancements on national, major and EIA development. There is no percentage target and no mandatory metric yet; a Scottish planning biodiversity metric is in development.
- Local wildlife records
- The desk study for a preliminary ecological appraisal uses records from The Wildlife Information Centre (TWIC), the local environmental records centre.
- Protected species licences
- Issued by NatureScot.
Habitats ecologists look for around Edinburgh
Water, trees and connected green space are where protected species are most likely to turn up. In Edinburgh, the Water of Leith, the Union Canal and Holyrood Park are the kind of habitat that raises the chance of follow-up surveys, so sites next to them, or with ponds, hedgerows or mature trees of their own, should allow time for surveys in spring and summer.
Survey types, timing and costs
Most projects in Edinburgh start with a preliminary ecological appraisal. Book it early in the year so any species surveys it recommends can run in the same season. If it finds bat roost potential in a building or tree, you'll need bat surveys in Edinburgh as well.
| Survey | When it can be done | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA) | Any time of year; the habitat survey is most reliable from April to September | About £500 (small sites) to £2,000 (large sites), plus VAT |
| Biodiversity net gain assessment (England) | Best April to September, when habitats can be assessed properly | From about £490 plus VAT on small sites |
| Habitat management and monitoring plan (England) | A draft with the planning application; the full plan with the biodiversity gain plan | From about £495 on small sites |
| Ecological impact assessment (EcIA) | Once the surveys it relies on are complete | From about £750 for a straightforward site |
| Protected species surveys | Depends on the species (see the seasons table) | Quoted per species and site; great crested newt eDNA is about £250 to £500 per pond |
Typical prices from published consultancy cost guides. Your ecologist quotes for your site.
Your ecologist in Edinburgh
We pass each Edinburgh enquiry to one vetted ecologist who covers your site and carries professional indemnity insurance. You get an email naming them before your details are shared, and they quote you directly. We are paid a referral fee by that business.
We also arrange ecological surveys in Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham.
Ecological survey questions in Edinburgh
Does my planning application in Edinburgh need biodiversity net gain?
Not in the English sense: Scotland has no mandatory biodiversity metric. Policy 3 of National Planning Framework 4 requires all development to contribute to enhancing biodiversity, with significant enhancements on national, major and EIA development. There is no percentage target and no mandatory metric yet; a Scottish planning biodiversity metric is in development.
Do I need an ecological survey for a small extension in Edinburgh?
Often not, but it depends on what the work affects. If it touches a roof space, mature trees, a pond or a hedgerow, the City of Edinburgh Council may ask for a protected species survey, most often for bats.
Who issues protected species licences in Edinburgh?
NatureScot. If surveys find a protected species your work would affect, your ecologist applies to NatureScot for a licence, usually once planning permission is granted.
Get an ecological survey quote in Edinburgh
Tell us where the site is and what's planned. Beatrice reads every enquiry.