ecosulis ltd have been involved in producing toolkits for developers giving advice and guidance on dealing with the commoner ecological issues. The toolkits range from a few pages that can be circulated on a company’s intranet, to a 30-40 page manual giving procedures specific to each of the company’s operational divisions.

The main aim of any toolkit is to minimise ecological risk by raising the awareness of staff and helping them to recognise potential ecological issues at an early stage. The core elements of a ecosulis ltd toolkit are as follows:

Introduction to the risks associated with the various stages of the development process (e.g. pre-site acquisition, design and planning, construction phase, post-construction phase).

Identifying risks associated with designated sites - including an explanation of the various types of designated sites (e.g. SSSI, Local Nature Reserve, Special Protection Area) and how to assess whether a development poses a risk to a protected site.

Commonly occurring protected species – covering the legal protection afforded to the most commonly occurring species, risks they pose to development and possible mitigation measures. Information on the best times of year to conduct surveys.

Risks associated with habitat features present on site – managers are encouraged to conduct their own review of a site’s features, to identify the risk of protected species before deciding whether professional advice should be obtained.