ACP Insights & Guidance
Turn a preliminary ecological appraisal into clear design actions, named responsibilities and reviewable evidence. A practical register helps the team act on the ecology report without losing its scope, limitations or specialist judgement.
The practical answer
Keep each recommendation connected to its report reference, responsible contributor and closure evidence. Separate further survey work from design commitments, and review affected actions whenever the proposal changes.
After a PEA: confirm the next assessment stage
A preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA) helps identify ecological constraints, opportunities and further evidence needs. CIEEM’s guidance explains that its usual purpose is to inform the client and design team. A PEA report does not automatically provide enough information to support a planning application.
Therefore, ask the ecologist to identify the next assessment stage and the evidence needed for it. Keep this decision separate from the coordination register. The register tracks delivery; it does not turn an unresolved ecological question into an accepted planning conclusion.
Record the report title, date, revision and the proposal it assessed. Read its limitations alongside the recommendations. If a recommendation is uncertain, ask the author to clarify it before turning it into a design instruction.
Separate surveys from design commitments
Give each action a type. A request for further survey evidence needs a scope, access arrangements and a suitable fieldwork window. A design commitment needs a drawing or specification that the team can implement. A consultation question needs a named person to obtain and record the answer.
For example, do not mark a bat-related recommendation complete simply because a survey has been booked. Track the survey, the report and the resulting design review as separate steps. This keeps the programme honest when the evidence could change the proposal.
Natural England’s protected-species advice explains the need for appropriate information before planning decisions. It also distinguishes planning permission from species licensing. Consequently, avoid assuming that every survey or permission question can be deferred to a later condition.
- Clarify the recommendationKeep the report reference and identify the evidence, uncertainty and decision involved.
- Assign the responseName the contributor, required output, review date and specialist reviewer.
- Verify the outcomeLink the actual response and review decision before closing the action.
Make the register useful at a design meeting
Start with the decisions that could change the next drawing issue. Ask whether the current evidence supports the proposed footprint, access, lighting or landscape treatment. Then identify any action that must close before the team can responsibly fix that element.
Use a short description that another team member can understand. However, preserve the report’s exact reference beside it. If the summary appears to conflict with the report, seek clarification from the author instead of quietly editing away the uncertainty.
This is a coordination example, not a lighting specification. It deliberately contains no universal illuminance limit, buffer distance or species conclusion. The appointed specialists must establish those details from the actual site and applicable guidance.
| Record | Check and action |
|---|---|
| Source | Current ecologist’s report and the specific lighting recommendation, including its section reference. |
| Required response | Lighting layout and specification addressing the identified ecological constraints. |
| Owner and reviewer | Lighting designer prepares the response; the ecologist reviews the ecological implications. |
| Dependency | Confirm the landscape layout and outstanding evidence before final review. |
| Closure evidence | Drawing revision, written specialist response and any remaining implementation requirements. |
Carry decisions into construction information
An agreed planning drawing is only one part of delivery. Check whether the commitment also needs to appear in the landscape specification, lighting schedule, contractor information or management plan. Assign that transfer explicitly so it does not disappear between project stages.
For instance, a retained habitat edge may depend on both planting and a particular lighting arrangement. Closing the planting action alone does not confirm the complete solution. Keep the connected actions visible and agree who checks the combined result.
Similarly, record practical access, sequencing and maintenance questions. These may affect whether a proposed measure remains workable after handover. Ask the relevant designer or manager to confirm delivery responsibilities before treating the package as settled.
Close actions with evidence and reopen changed designs
Close an action against a defined output and review decision. Record the drawing or specification revision, the reviewer and any outstanding implementation requirements. A note saying “ecology considered” is not closure evidence.
A closed entry should identify the proposal it applies to. If a later layout moves a building, removes vegetation or changes lighting, ask the ecologist whether the earlier conclusion still holds. Keep the previous evidence for traceability, but add the new review decision.
Use clear status terms such as open, awaiting information, under specialist review and agreed for the named revision. Avoid a single green tick that hides unresolved dependencies. Finally, check that the report, drawings and action register describe the same proposal.
For help defining the specialist brief, see ACP’s ecology survey services. The register supports that work; it does not replace an ecological assessment, biodiversity calculation or licence.
Check the coordinated package before issue
- The register identifies the report scope, limitations and current revision.
- Each action retains its source reference and affected location.
- Contributors, reviewers and dependencies are named.
- Closure records identify actual evidence and the proposal it supports.
- Agreed commitments appear in the relevant construction or management information.
- Design changes trigger the agreed specialist review.
Maintain one controlled register and retain the evidence behind each decision. Before issue, circulate unresolved questions to the appropriate owners. This gives the next design meeting a clear starting point.
Questions about a PEA and design actions
Is a preliminary ecological appraisal enough for planning?
Not automatically. Ask the ecologist what further surveys, assessment and reporting the proposal needs. The local authority must have appropriate evidence to determine the application.
Who should own the ecology action register?
A named project coordinator can maintain it. However, each action needs an appropriate contributor and reviewer. The coordinator should not replace specialist judgement with an administrative tick box.
Can a design action close before the survey report arrives?
Only if the relevant specialist confirms that the action is independent of that evidence. Otherwise, record the dependency and keep the affected decision open.
Does completing the register satisfy a protected-species licence?
No. Licensing is a separate process where applicable. The register can track a licensing task, but it cannot establish that the legal requirements have been met.
What should happen when the architect changes the layout?
Send the revised proposal to the ecologist with a clear description of the changes. Then update affected actions, evidence references and review decisions.
References and scope
- CIEEM (2017): Guidelines for Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, 2nd editionDecember 2017, with the January 2018 typographical correction. Explains the role, limitations and reporting purpose of a PEA. PDF, 23 pages.
- Natural England and Defra: Protected species and development — advice for local planning authoritiesUpdated 7 April 2025. Covers ecological evidence, planning decisions and the distinction between planning permission and species licensing in England.
Sources checked 29 October 2026. This guide supports project coordination in England; apply the current documents and specialist advice for your scheme.