What is a PEA?

PEA – Vegetable, Mineral or… Survey?

When confronted with the question ‘What is a PEA?’, one would be inclined to suggest a small green vegetable. In fact, you wouldn’t be wrong to give such an answer; however, ecologically speaking, the term is an acronym for one of our speciality reports here at Pioneer Environment: the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal. 

So, what exactly is a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal? To be precise, the PEA is a rapid, high-level assessment of ecological features that are present, or could potentially be present, both on a site and within its Zone of Influence (ZoI).

This appraisal process is considered a fundamental starting point for your planning applications, land purchases and development projects. It not only highlights ecological risks of a project early but can help to prevent costly delays occurring further down the line. Therefore, making it essential part of the development process. So, let’s break it down.

The PEA consists of three distinct stages:

1.       The Desk Study: At this stage we gather valuable ecological information for the Zone of Influence (ZoI) of your site. This includes records concerning protected species and designated sites that lie within a 5 km radius of your red line boundary. This information is used to produce high-quality maps to determine the likely influence of your development on recorded species and designated sites.

2.       Site visit and walkover survey: At this stage, one of our experienced ecologists will contact you to arrange a site visit. During this visit, they will survey the site and assess the habitats present for suitability and presence of a range of species, including nesting birds, bats, mammals such as badgers or hedgehogs and amphibians, such as the Great Crested Newts. If your site also qualifies for Biodiversity Net Gain, this includes a full UKHab and vegetation survey.

3.       Production of a clear, action-focused report: All the information gathered in stages 2 and 3 is collated into a concise report, which will detail all the ecological risks associated with your development and give expert advice on how to ensure your proposal is compliant with National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This may include suggestions for future surveys, advice on enhancing your development to support biodiversity, or proposed mitigation methods to ensure the environment is protected during your development.

But why do I need a PEA?

Now here’s the legal bit, as of the introduction of the NPPF in 2012 and British Standard BS42020 in 2013, submitting a comprehensive PEA report alongside your planning applications is considered standard practice. In fact, both documents place a strong emphasis on ‘ensuring planning decisions are informed by adequate ecological information’. Therefore, without this evidence, your project risks facing costly delays and re-submission for planning. As such, a PEA report is essential for your development.

Contact our experienced ecology team now for a free, no-obligation quote so that we can help you to secure your development while working to protect our natural environment together.