CEC has assisted a leading provider of holiday cabin holidays on ten existing and possible future woodland sites throughout southern England and Wales. Our involvement has ranged from initial scoping studies of possible future sites through to Ecological Clerk of Works support on site during construction, and post-construction monitoring.
All of the sites are located within woodland as this is an important part of the experience being provided for visitors to the holiday cabins. However, development in woodland can potentially have significant effects on protected species and valuable wildlife habitats. In addition to initial scoping surveys, CEC has undertaken detailed protected species surveys for bats, dormice, great crested newts, nesting birds, reptiles, invertebrates, higher and lower plants. The results of these surveys have helped minimise ecological impacts through refinement of the proposed layouts, and are presented in a report to accompany planning applications for each site.
Once planning consent is obtained, we have worked with our client to minimise impacts on wildlife through timings of works and Ecological Clerk of Works support where appropriate. This, and construction method for the cabins, such as using long-reach cranes to minimise tracking of vehicles over the ground around each cabin, has resulted in sensitive developments within these woodland sites. Our post-construction monitoring on several sites has shown that protected species populations are maintained or increased as a result of ecological mitigation and enhancement recommended by CEC.
Location: Gloucestershire, Cornwall, Nottinghamshire, Hampshire, Norfolk, Cheshire, Northamptonshire, Sussex, Carmarthenshire and Brecon