BRISTOL AIRPORT EXPANSION

Client

Bristol Airport

Services

Environmental Assessment, Ecology, Planning, GIS

The Brief

Johns Associates was appointed as project ecologists to support an Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment associated with a planning application to increase the capacity of Bristol Airport to 12 million passengers per annum.

Our Role

• Provide a detailed baseline study conducted over a large spatial area that includes Bristol Airport’s estate and surrounding land within 5km.
• Include Phase 1 habitat survey, extended Phase 1 habitat survey, reptiles, great crested newt, breeding birds, bats, badger, dormouse and some detailed botanical surveys.
• Map data through our in house GIS system for processing and analysis.
• Prepare information to support a full Ecological Impact Assessment as an ES Chapter and Appropriate Assessment of the proposals to extend the capacity of Bristol Airport.
• Provide advice in terms of wider legal compliance (including INNS associated with Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act) and the need for licencing in relation to bat roosts, badger setts, great crested newt and nesting bird habitat. 

The Outcome

A robust solution to delivering both the required mitigation in relation to legally protected species INNS and net biodiversity gain, particularly in relation to bat habitat has been achieved through the application of a detailed understanding of the nature conservation legislation and policy, ecological functionality and habitat requirements, effective consultation and report writing.

The proposed solution helped deliver a compliant and best practice development solution for a highly-constrained site, meeting planning policy requirements and also following specific guidance in terms of nature conservation legislation. Following detailed examination, the scheme was approved.