Ecological Watching Brief (Ecological Clerk of Works)

Quants has been successfully supporting clients with Ecological Clerk of Works services such as ecology watching briefs on projects throughout Yorkshire and the north of England for well over a decade.

Environmental regulation and planning policy impose obligations on developers and contractors to protect and enhance biodiversity through their work on construction sites. A competent Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) can effectively oversee the management of the risks on construction sites associated with managing biodiversity and can help to ensure a smooth and cost-efficient construction process. Conversely, an incompetent ECoW can inadvertently cause costly delays, frustration and exposure to risk of prosecution.

Staff at Quants are experienced at acting as Ecological Clerk of Works on a range of projects and developments. We are familiar with construction practices and are able to provide Toolbox Talks on site, to ensure that ecological, arboricultural and countryside management constraints are understood by site contractors, and the regulatory interests of our clients are upheld throughout.

Many sites and projects require supervision at some level to be undertaken by trained ecologists, either as part of a working Method Statement (MS), as part of a planning procedure (for example, tile stripping on roofs) or as part of an existing protected species licence. Frequently a Toolbox Talk, followed by a basic instruction on why the work is being undertaken, covering the detail of what needs to be done, will be issued by the Lead Ecologist. If the work involves clearing surface debris from a site then it may be necessary for the ecologist to fingertip search the area for protected species in advance of the workers entering the site. Equally, if a roof is to be stripped of tiles then scaffolding may have to be erected in advance, and the ecologist sent to check the roof margins, gables, chimney etc., for bats or birds before any tiles are removed.

All Quants staff are trained in construction site health and safety, and as such have the knowledge and awareness to work on a range of development sites in varied environments.

All staff are supported to obtain CSCS site cards. Construction Skills Certification Scheme | Official CSCS Website