Ecological Clerk of Works
An Environmental or Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) is often required by planning authorities. Its purpose is not only to support compliance with legislation and planning conditions but also to provide advice and guidance throughout construction. Increasingly, planning conditions require on-site supervision during the development phase to ensure that ecological and wider environmental impacts are avoided or mitigated.
Our ECoW Expertise
Atmos has extensive experience of providing ECoW services across a range of sectors and projects within varying scopes including: renewable energy, gas pipeline, overhead power line, residential housing and physical infrastructure (road, rail and grid) developments.
Our approach is to ensure that sensitive environmental site issues are identified early and managed according to good practice guidelines, whilst recognising the need to progress within the required time-scales.
We recognise that effective communication is paramount to project success and have a proven track record of effectively liaising with statutory bodies, site contractors and project managers to achieve successful and commercially pragmatic outcomes.
Working in partnership with developers and their contractors, we act in an independent capacity, undertaking compliance monitoring and providing good practice advice and guidance.
Our ECoW Consultants
Our multi-disciplinary team are experienced with construction practices and can provide inductions and site training to ensure that environmental constraints are fully understood by contractors. We work to protect the interests of our clients throughout the construction and operational phase, with a focus on project delivery, on time and within the constraints of planning conditions and environmental legislation.
Our ECoW consultants hold up-to-date Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards and are very familiar with Health and Safety guidance and good practice. As such they are able to both supervise and actively undertake ECoW roles across a wide array of development sites.
Our ECoW Solutions
We offer our clients the full ECoW package supported by specific technical services such as Ecology and Ornithology, Noise and Hydrology. Choose from an integrated service approach or one of our specialist services to seamlessly feed into your project. Including:
- Preparation of pragmatic Species or Habitat Management Plans prior to construction.
- Review of, and if necessary, preparation of environmental text for inclusion into any Construction Method Statements (CMS) or Environmental Management Plan (EMP).
- Constraint verification surveys to review scheme design layout, and to ensure that locations of site infrastructure is located away from sensitive areas.
- Ecological surveys for avian, non-avian and aquatic ecology throughout the project life cycle.
- Baseline monitoring and interpretation of peat, noise, hydrology, and water quality via a combination of on-site inspection and use of remote data recorders.
- Monitoring and implementation of planning conditions, schedules of mitigation, and Species/Habitat Protection Plans.
- Pragmatic advice and the implementation of proven techniques on habitat reinstatement and restoration design.
- Environmental and advisory reporting including maintenance of an active site register of all open/closed issues and advice on pragmatic and practical solutions.
- Tool-box talks - promoting environmental awareness and best practice techniques amongst the construction team.
- Stakeholders and regulator liaison and engagement.
- Environmental support package in contract tendering.
Download examples of our recent work
Wittets Architects on behalf of QintetiQ
Inverness Flood Alleviation Scheme
Contact us today to find out how we can successfully help you de-risk the environmental implications of your project.
