News | Ecology Briefing

18 Apr 2019	Oak decline could put 2300 species at risk Ecology Briefing: The next best tree, ash, only supports 28% of oak supported species.
18 Apr 2019	Trees and green belt could influence Sheffield election Brownfield Briefing: CPRE set to run its own green belt consultation along with threat map.
11 Apr 2019	Developers must safeguard birds, warns Minister Brownfield Briefing: Wildlife habitats must be protected during construction, says Communities Secretary James Brokenshire.
29 Mar 2019	Former Essex ‘plotlands’ now protected Brownfield Briefing: The SSI-designated area is home to 11 wild orchids and scarce plants and 36 species of butterfly.
28 Mar 2019	Global wetland restoration programme needed, says WWT Ecology Briefing: The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust believes such a programme would halt biodiversity loss and tackle climate change.
21 Mar 2019	Brexit could be good for UK soil quality, says report Brownfield Briefing: Brexit offers a unique opportunity to direct agricultural policy in ways that start to tackle the huge greenhouse gas emissions from farming, says Soil Association.
21 Mar 2019	SSE reveals biodiversity strategy Ecology Briefing: The energy company has unveiled its ambitions to enhance biodiversity as part of its 2018 biodiversity report.
21 Mar 2019	A417 scheme could significantly harm wildlife, claims Wildlife Trust Ecology Briefing: The trust believes the c£500m scheme could damage two local sites of special scientific interest and further segment previously connected habitats.
18 Mar 2019	Tilbury 2 scheme threatens habitats and rare species Ecology Briefing: Local wildlife groups have expressed concern that the large-scale expansion of the Port of Tilbury will lead to the destruction of nationally important habitats and rare and threatened species.
18 Mar 2019	Binding biodiversity net gain principle takes centre stage Ecology Briefing: The Chancellor’s acceptance of the binding biodiversity net gain principle is set to have a major impact on development planning across the UK as pressures on habitats build.	Europe, UK
18 Mar 2019	Northern Ireland joins with post-Brexit environmental governance body Ecology Briefing: Jurisdiction of the post-Brexit Office of Environmental Protection will now extend to Northern Ireland to plug a governance anomaly, but the move has prompted further questions.
8 Mar 2019	High Court accepts OxCam Expressway challenge Ecology Briefing: The Wildlife Trust argues the government has failed to assess the environmental impacts of its plans when deciding where to build the project.
8 Mar 2019	Campaigners begin battle to save Coul Links Ecology Briefing: A coalition of environmental organisations are fighting to prevent the development of a golf course in Coul Links, Scotland.
8 Mar 2019	Secretaries of state overturn refusal on HS2 mitigation project Ecology Briefing: The appeal was eventually upheld by the secretaries of state on both ecological and architectural grounds.
7 Mar 2019	Landscape Institute consults on competency framework Ecology Briefing: The body is mindful of adapting to help future-proof the landscaping profession.
28 Feb 2019	Government proposes boost to Isle of Scilly SPA Ecology Briefing: Under the plans the special protection area would be increased by over 3,000%, helping protect wild birds across the area.
28 Feb 2019	Turmoil over development on habitat regulations sites eases Brownfield Briefing: A dispute over development of sites protected under the Habitats Directive where mitigation is possible has been resolved in the latest NPPF draft.
28 Feb 2019	Gove launches conservation covenant debate Ecology Briefing: A new conservation covenant could allow wider use of legal agreements to better protect and enhance nature, and provide flexibility for developers, but context is everything.
28 Feb 2019	Tilbury port expansion go-ahead despite threat to wildlife Brownfield Briefing: Forth Ports, owners of the Tilbury ‘super port’ in Thurrock, just outside London, have been given the go-ahead by transport secretary, Chris Grayling for a massive £200m expansion of the facility, despite feared threats on wildlife.
28 Feb 2019	Scotland gives beavers protected status Ecology Briefing: The creature will be added to the list of European Protected Species of Animals that are protected under Scottish law.
22 Feb 2019	Big data can support natural asset management Ecology Briefing: Latest research shows big data can help target different natural capital management approaches to areas where they will be most effective.
21 Feb 2019	Parks receive £13m from Government Brownfield Briefing: The funding will be used to create new green spaces and help redevelop derelict spaces.
14 Feb 2019	Street tree biodiversity is key, says Professor Ecology Briefing: Having different species of trees by urban areas can reduce pests and boost biodiversity, says Dr Nina Bassuk, of the Urban Horticulture Institute.
14 Feb 2019	Avon Valley development will "irrevocably harm wildlife", claims WLT Ecology Briefing: According to the trust, the development site provides functional supporting habitat that has been used by breeding and feeding bird populations.
14 Feb 2019	Anglian Water unveils natural capital ambitions Ecology Briefing: The water utility reveals its ambitions to protect local natural capital from the effects of climate change and growth.
7 Feb 2019	Cheshire East Council backs eco-homes alongside wetland restoration Ecology Briefing: The small-scale development will incorporate a range of sustainable building measures while also restoring local habitat.
7 Feb 2019	Biodiversity net gain proposals: industry reactions Ecology Briefing: Questions raised include the capacity of local authorities to deliver the scheme and the workings of the cash tariff.
6 Feb 2019	Germany invests 2m euro in global peatlands Ecology Briefing: The investment in the Global Peatlands Initiative will help ensure that peatlands remain as carbon sinks rather than carbon sources.
31 Jan 2019	WSP to research UK climate risk interactions Ecology Briefing: The research aims to identify and understand climate change effects across a range of environments.
31 Jan 2019	Monitoring systems need to adapt more, says institute Ecology Briefing: Further development is needed to enable the adaptive management of our ecosystems, according to the James Hutton Institute.