To achieve planning permission, renewable energy schemes must overcome any significant ecological impacts or else these must be clearly outweighed by the environmental, social or economic benefits of development. It is therefore essential for developers to choose sites carefully in the first instance.

Whatever your renewable energy scheme Keystone Environmental can supply the ecological expertise necessary to identify and avoid or mitigate ecological impacts. We specialise in undertaking strategic site surveys to identify constraints from the outset and in the ecological impact assessment of major schemes. With rational planning and guidance we act as an intermediary between our clients, the LPA and statutory consultees to achieve an outcome that is agreeable to all parties in the shortest possible time. If necessary we can provide expert witnesses for public inquiry.

What Keystone can do for the Renewable Energy Sector...

• We undertake scoping studies and preliminary surveys to identify the most suitable sites from an ecological perspective.
  
  
• We undertake generic or specific habitat and species surveys, including invasive plant surveys
  
  
• We utilise GIS and associated software packages for major biodiversity audits, protected species and habitat surveys
  
  
• In consultation with statutory organisations we undertake appropriate assessments
  
  
• We can produce the ecology chapter of an Environmental Statement in accordance with the current guidelines produced by the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM)
  
  
• We have an in-depth knowledge of current legislation and environmental policy
  
  
• We have extensive experience in the design of approved mitigation strategies and can apply for a wide range of licences on behalf of our clients
  
  
• Our in-house contracting department can supply site staff for the supervision of ecological works and site briefings and at the other end of the scale can install exclusion fencing and capture devices, create and restore habitats, build otter holts, rafts for nesting birds and hides etc., and implement habitat management techniques for conservation gain
  
  
• We carry out monitoring programmes to provide feedback on mitigation schemes