An effective habitat management plan should increase the value of the lineside as a natural capital asset whilst ensuring safe and efficient rail operations remain a priority.
Our team collaborates with Network Rail and other stakeholders, including local authorities, trusts, and other organisations, to design Habitat Management Plans that preserve and enhance the lineside habitats, consider local conditions and comply with relevant legislation.
As the only rail-dedicated environmental contractor in the UK with in-house Arboricultural teams, we know what makes a good plan and which methods work to increase site biodiversity.
The larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is considered a serious pest on spruce and was first discovered in the UK in Kent, in 2018. If left uncontrolled, it poses a serious threat to Britain's forestry industry.
Following ongoing surveillance further findings of Ips typographus have since been confirmed, resulting in a demarcated area covering much of the south East of England. Within the demarcated area strict restrictions are in place that prevent the felling and movement of spruce wood, bark and branches without authorisation.
Work is now being carried out in an effort to eradicate this beetle by removing spruce from areas at risk of infestation.
We are currently undertaking the proactive removal of spruce from within the demarcated area for private and public landowners, before the trees become infected, or if the landowner has received a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN), which can adversely affect the value and restrict the timing of the operation.
Having well-established relationships with the Forestry Commission, as well as agreements in place with authorised processors, we are able offer a complete service that covers the felling, extraction and marketing of your spruce, ensuring that you receive the best commercial return possible.
We can also help with grant applications to reclaim some of the costs involved in felling and restocking your woodland.
After taking some details in regards to your woodland we will arrange a site visit to appraise the standing timber and site constraints and hazards. We will also notify the Forestry Commision and arrange a Plant Health inspection to determine the presence (or absence of) of the beetle.
We have arrangements in place with a number of authorised processors situated within the demarcated area, allowing us to offer your timber to multiple buyers and outlets.
We will submit a formal valuation offer based on the findings of the site visit, as well as the quantity and quality of timber.
If the offer is accepted then we will prepare the site for temporary or permanent access to allow for efficient harvesting.
We work with the aim of optimising the value of your timber, and will cut a range of products, subject to timber quality, size, volume and any SPHN requirements.
As part of our service, we will handle the dispatch of all harvested material to the authorised processors.
Following harvesting operations we will prepare the site and select suitable species to achieve a thriving healthy woodland that is suited to the landscape, soils and our changing climate.
Our team can assist you in creating, planning, and managing your woodland's future, leaving behind a woodland that is fit for purpose, and for the benefit of future generations.
An effective habitat management plan should increase the value of the lineside as a natural capital asset whilst ensuring safe and efficient rail operations remain a priority.
Our team collaborates with Network Rail and other stakeholders, including local authorities, trusts, and other organisations, to design Habitat Management Plans that preserve and enhance the lineside habitats, consider local conditions and comply with relevant legislation.
As the only rail-dedicated environmental contractor in the UK with in-house Arboricultural teams, we know what makes a good plan and which methods work to increase site biodiversity.
An effective habitat management plan should increase the value of the lineside as a natural capital asset whilst ensuring safe and efficient rail operations remain a priority.
Our team collaborates with Network Rail and other stakeholders, including local authorities, trusts, and other organisations, to design Habitat Management Plans that preserve and enhance the lineside habitats, consider local conditions and comply with relevant legislation.
As the only rail-dedicated environmental contractor in the UK with in-house Arboricultural teams, we know what makes a good plan and which methods work to increase site biodiversity.
The UK Habitat Classification (UKHab) is a way to classify different types of lineside habitats, such as grasslands, heathland and shrub, wetlands, woodland and urban and brownfield habitats and helps to identify specific habitats which may be of conservation importance.
Through the use of desk studies and field surveys, habitats are usually classified to at least UKHab Level 4 but sometimes Level 5. A Level 4 assessment is necessary for a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessment using the most up to date government metric (currently Metric 4.0). Additionally, it will inform the Preferred Habitat Objective and the production of a site Habitat Management Plan.
Baseline studies are an important step in understanding the current condition of a habitat. These involve desk studies, habitat surveys, and site appraisal visits to collect data.
Through this information, we can assess the baseline condition of a habitat before any works begin, before measuring the impact of any changes we make. This helps us to identify areas that need improvement and guides our decisions about how best to manage the environment for the long term.
The Preferred Habitat Objective is a process that uses the results of baseline studies to determine the habitat objectives that will best achieve the goals of the project.
It involves understanding the current condition of the habitat, identifying the desired habitat condition, and then making decisions about the management techniques and activities that will help achieve the desired objectives.
The goal is to create a plan that improves the habitat and provides a long-term benefit to the species that live there, while enhancing biodiversity to attract new wildlife.
Habitat design and management is all about creating the best possible environment for the species in a given area.
This includes things like determining what kind of habitat is best suited for a particular species, how much of it should be included in the area, and what kind of vegetation management practices should be in place.
By understanding the needs of the species, we can design habitats that meet those needs and create management regimes that ensure the habitats remain healthy and productive for the long term.
The Environment Act states that habitat enhanced or created for mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) must be secured, managed and maintained for at least 30 years and achieve the distinctiveness and condition as intended.
Our Environmental team will not only produce a long-term management plan needed to help achieve a successful outcome, but by collaborating with our in-house Arboricultural teams, we can put the theory into practice and deliver all necessary vegetation works for the lifetime of the safeguarding and monitoring period.
An effective habitat management plan should increase the value of the lineside as a natural capital asset whilst ensuring safe and efficient rail operations remain a priority.
Our team collaborates with Network Rail and other stakeholders, including local authorities, trusts, and other organisations, to design Habitat Management Plans that preserve and enhance the lineside habitats, consider local conditions and comply with relevant legislation.
As the only rail-dedicated environmental contractor in the UK with in-house Arboricultural teams, we know what makes a good plan and which methods work to increase site biodiversity.