Through partnerships with other species' conservation organisations BCT works to extend the reach of our conservation actions and achieve wider gains for biodiversity.
BCT led the Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning Project from 2014 to 2020 to improve the consideration of biodiversity in the planning process. The project was delivered in a unique collaboration with 19 partners including conservation organisations representing all protected and priority species in the UK as well as key planning and development stakeholders.
Although our Esmée Fairbairn Foundation funding has now ended and we no longer employ a Project Officer, the legacy of the project lives on in the www.biodiversityinplanning.org website, which is packed full of useful resources, and the Wildlife Assessment Check (see below)
Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning
One of the key outputs of the partnership project is a free web-based planning tool, the Wildlife Assessment Check that enables users to quickly and easily assess whether a development proposal is likely to affect protected and priority species, as well as statutory designated sites. The planning tool presents the user with a series of questions about the development proposal and indicates whether professional ecological input is needed and the type of species surveys that may be relevant.
Designed for use by non-ecologists, the Wildlife Assessment Check tool can be used before an application is submitted to provide applicants and/or their agents with a clear indication of the biodiversity issues likely to be encountered by a proposed development. By addressing ecological issues early on, the tool helps ensure planning applications are submitted with the appropriate ecological evidence, reducing risk of incurring negative ecological impacts, as well as unplanned for delays and additional costs for a project.
We will continue to maintain and update the tool for the next three years.
Our capacity to respond to enquiries and provide talks and training is now reduced. However, if you have a query about the website or Wildlife Assessment Check then please contact Jan Collins, our Head of Biodiversity, on jcollins@bats.org.uk.
