Budget for the environment at the very beginning of a project so that there are not too many shocks later.
Nowadays, environmental and ecological concerns can cost up to 20 percent of the overall budget.
Some issues that should be included:
- biodiversity
- mitigation design
- ecological survey
- sustainable drainage
- soil and water
- management plans
- landscape
- compensation
- heritage
- monitoring
Matters of condition although many ecological issues need to be addressed before a planning application is decided, there are still times when ecology is a matter of condition. Meeting these conditions can hold up a development at a critical time and may cost many thousands, or even tens of thousands of pounds, at a very late stage. It is always better to resolve these matters sooner rather than later.
Maximise your profits by checking out your site early so that you are aware of any concerns that may arise. Early warning helps when budgeting for your development. Addressing environmental issues late in the day will almost always adversely affect your profits. For many major schemes, 20 percent is allowed in the budget to cover environmental issues.
Check your facts find out whether an ecological appraisal will be sufficient or whether a full Environmental Impact Assessment is required. Scoping will assist and your consultant can advise. However, local authority scoping can be incomplete consider doing your own.
Choose your team wisely ensure a competent and well respected ecological or environmental consultant is on your team at the earliest stage. This will ensure your architects design will incorporate environmental matters at the beginning of the project, rather than halfway through the application stage or even worse, just before the application goes to committee. A good consultant will also help in any negotiations required.
Timing is important allow enough time for environmental and ecological matters to be dealt with at the appropriate time of year as timings can conflict e.g. bats, nesting birds, great crested newts, slow-worms, badgers.
The devil is in the detail virtually all sites now have environmental and ecological matters that need to be addressed and some sites are very complex indeed. Planning applications can be won or lost on scientific detail.
The power of negotiation ensure your ecological or environmental consultant is competent to discuss often complex and scientific matters with the planning consultees and local authority officers.
Objection is a fact of development life if local residents do not try to protect their own backyard, no-one else will do it for them. They can and do, delay and stop applications and it is better to communicate with them early. If they understand more about what you are trying to achieve and that you are taking a responsible and professional approach to the development, you may even get some of them on your side, especially if they realise the benefits that may accrue from the proposals.
Keep the communication channels open constantly check you are satisfying the consultees at every step of the way. However, sometimes even the consultees, officers or committee members are not always well informed and up-to-date. Ensure your own consultant knows his way around the environmental planning system and can guide and advise you and your team effectively.
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