Ben Mitchell, Principal Ecologist, will be presenting at the National Bat Conference organised by the Bat Conservation Trust which brings together wildlife conservationists, ecological consultants, researchers and technology experts who are working to secure the future of bats. The conference is taking place from 6th-8th September at Nottingham University. Ben’s presentation will focus on how
Read Entire ArticleJohns Associates is delighted to have recently obtained planning permission on behalf of Good Energy for a new 5MW solar farm in Gloucestershire, providing Town Planning, Ecology, Flood Risk and EIA co-ordination services. The application was originally refused by Tewkesbury Borough councilors, despite a positive recommendation from the Planning Officer. Johns Associates co-ordinated the
Read Entire ArticleLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan has commissioned a formal review of the Garden Bridge project. The 367m long pedestrian bridge is to cross the Thames between Temple and South Bank and would be a ‘garden on the water”, containing an abundance of plants. Sprouting from an idea by actress Joanna Lummley, the bridge has been designed
Read Entire ArticleIn the wake of ever-growing threats to tree health in the UK, the Arboricultural Association (AA) has published the ‘Biosecurity in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Position Statement’. It addresses the problems associated with the introduction and spread of tree pests and diseases as well as invasive tree species. The document defines basic and easy-to-follow principles
Read Entire ArticleAs part of the Capability Brown Festival 2016, which commemorates the designer’s 300th birthday, Historic England recently released a map displaying surviving Capability Brown landscapes with aerial photographs for each – click here to visit the site. To mark the celebrations, Royal Mail has also just issued a set of 8 stamps showing views of
Read Entire ArticleThe EIA Directive was amended in 2014 to update it in line with some issues that have come to the forefront more recently in its 25 year existence. Those issues include climate change, resource efficiency, accident and disaster prevention and health. Additional changes were also made to secure delivery of monitoring and enforcement. If changes to
Read Entire ArticleEarlier this year the Local Plan Expert Group (LPEG) proposed that the Sustainability Appraisal process be reduced to a single report that assess the submitted plan. The LPEG was established by the Government to look at improving the efficiency and efficacy of local plan making. At present, Sustainability Appraisal runs in parallel to the Local
Read Entire ArticleProfessor Lord John Krebs has said that while there was “no question” that the first response to climate change should be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is still “crucial to prepare for the inevitable changes” that will occur as a result of emissions that have already been made. This comes hot on the heels
Read Entire ArticleWhile the government gets stuck into realigning their people, plans and policies in the wake of the EU referendum, we need to keep cool heads and remember that, for now, nothing has changed in terms of our obligations to the environment. Environmental law, whether that is derived from the EU or not, still stands and
Read Entire ArticleIn May, our GIS Manager, Becky Burvill, went along to the ESRI UK 2016 annual conference in the heart of London. The day kicked off with the team from ESRI demonstrating the fantastic Drone2Map software used recently for a National Trust Property, Waddesden Manor. Becky had a great day following conference speakers, exploring the exposition and
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