You are here: 11.0 Land Use and Ecology > LE 05 Long term impact on biodiversity

LE 05 Long term impact on biodiversity

Number of credits available	Minimum standards
2	No

Aim

To minimise the long term impact of the development on the site and the surrounding area’s biodiversity.

Assessment criteria

The following is required to demonstrate compliance:

Up to two credits

Where a Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) is appointed prior to commencement of activities on-site and they confirm that all relevant UK and EU legislation relating to the protection and enhancement of ecology has been complied with during the design and construction process.
Where a landscape and habitat management plan, appropriate to the site, is produced covering at least the first five years after project completion in accordance with BS 42020:20131 BS 42020: 2013 Biodiversity - Code of Practice for Planning Development, BSI 2013 Section 11.1. This is to be handed over to the building owner/occupants for use by the grounds maintenance staff.
Where additional measures to improve the assessed site's long term biodiversity are adopted, according to Table 58 .

Where criteria 1 to 3 are met credits can be awarded as follows:

No. of credits	No. of additional measures
1	2
2	4

Where the Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) confirms that some of the additional measures listed in Table 58 are not applicable to the assessed development, the credits can be awarded as follows:

	Applicable additional measures
	All	4	3	2	1
Credits	Number of additional measures to assess
1	2	2	2	N/A	N/A
2	4	4	3	2	1

Checklists and tables

Table 58 Additional measures for the improvement of long term biodiversity

Ref	Additional measure for the improvement of long term biodiversity
1	The principal contractor nominates a Biodiversity Champion with the authority to influence site activities and ensure that detrimental impacts on site biodiversity are minimised in line with the recommendations of a Suitably Qualified Ecologist.
2	The principal contractor trains the site workforce on how to protect site ecology during the project. Specific training must be carried out for the entire site workforce to ensure they are aware of how to avoid damaging site ecology during operations on-site. Training should be based on the findings and recommendations for protection of ecological features highlighted within a report prepared by a Suitably Qualified Ecologist.
3	The principal contractor records actions taken to protect biodiversity and monitor their effectiveness throughout key stages of the construction process. The requirement commits the principal contractor to make such records available where publicly requested.
4	Where a new ecologically valuable habitat appropriate to the local area is created. This includes a habitat that supports nationally, regionally or locally important biodiversity, and/or which is nationally, regionally or locally important itself; including any UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) priority habitats2 For information on UK BAP Priority Habitats refer to Joint Nature Conservation Committee: www.jncc.defra.gov.uk,, Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) habitats, those protected within statutory sites (e.g. SSSIs), or those within non-statutory sites identified in local plans. Local biodiversity expertise should be sought during the Preparation and Brief (RIBA Stage 1 or equivalent) to help identify species of local biodiversity importance on-site and ensure that the proposals support local priorities.
5	Where flora and/or fauna habitats exist on-site, the contractor programmes site works to minimise disturbance to wildlife. For example, site preparation, ground works, and soft landscape works have been, or will be, scheduled at an appropriate time of year to minimise disturbance to wildlife. Timing of works may have a significant impact on, for example, breeding birds, flowering plants, seed germination, amphibians etc. Actions such as phased clearance of vegetation may help to mitigate ecological impacts. This additional requirement will be achieved where a clear plan has been produced detailing how activities will be timed to avoid any impact on site biodiversity in line with the recommendations of a Suitably Qualified Ecologist.
6	Education buildings (pre-schools, schools and sixth form colleges only) A partnership has been set up by the design team with a local group that has wildlife expertise (e.g. local Wildlife Trust or similar local body) and the group has: Provided advice early in the design process regarding protecting and/or providing habitat for species of local importance on the site. Provided advice to ensure the design is in keeping with the local environment. In particular this should draw on their local knowledge of any features or species of ecological interest on or near the site. Provided, or will continue to provide, ongoing support and advice to the educational establishment to help them manage, maintain and develop the outdoor space in the longer term. A suitable starting point for discussion with the local wildlife group would be to ask for advice on how to take account of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) in the school/college landscape design.

Compliance notes

Ref	Terms	Description
Shell and core
CN1	Applicable assessment criteria	Both options: All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply. Refer to Appendix D – BREEAM UK New Construction and Shell and Core Project Assessments for a more detailed description of the above shell and core assessment options.
Simple buildings
CN2	Applicable assessment criteria	This issue is not applicable.
General
CN3	Where additional measures are not applicable See criterion 3.	In all cases it is necessary to employ a Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) to achieve credits for this BREEAM issue. As a minimum the SQE must provide the following in writing: Confirmation that criteria 1 and 2 have been achieved Clarification of how many of the additional measures for criterion 3 are applicable and have been achieved Guidance on how to achieve Additional measure 4 (where possible). Where the Suitably Qualified Ecologist confirms that none of the additional measures are applicable (due to the nature of the site and its surroundings) full credits can be awarded for demonstrating compliance with criteria 1 and 2.
Building specific
CN4	Education (pre-school, school and sixth form college buildings only) Additional measure 6: Ongoing support and advice	This could take the form of meetings several times a year with staff/pupils/students working party to help them plan conservation and ecological enhancement work, or activities relating the ecology in or near the school or college grounds.
CN4.1	Prisons Additional measure 4	The Prison Service Biodiversity Action Plan (PSBAP)3 Statement of Action and Strategy for a Prison Service Biodiversity Action Plan, HMPS, 2003. should be referred to for prison buildings where Additional measure 4 is being assessed. For habitats that are not listed in the PSBAP guidance on appropriate habitat creation should be sought from the National Biodiversity Network and the UKBAP.

Methodology

None.

Evidence

Criteria	Interim design stage	Final post construction stage
All	One or more of the appropriate evidence types listed in The BREEAM evidential requirements section can be used to demonstrate compliance with these criteria.

Additional information

Relevant definitions

Biodiversity: Biodiversity is defined as the variety of life on earth. It includes all species, animal, plants, fungi, algae, bacteria and the habitats that they depend upon.
Biodiversity Action Plan: A plan which sets specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound conservation targets for species and habitats. The JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) website www.jncc.defra.gov.uk provides information on Biodiversity Action Plans and the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.
Biodiversity Champion: An individual formally tasked by the principal contractor with the responsibility for monitoring and influencing site activities and minimising detrimental impact on biodiversity. The individual must have sufficient authority and time on-site and knowledge of ecology and construction to carry out the role. The Biodiversity Champion need not be an ecologist or ecological expert. This may be the same person as the Sustainability Champion in Man 03 Responsible construction practices.
Local group with wildlife expertise: A local group with wildlife expertise could be the local Wildlife Trust or an alternative group that has been involved in local wildlife conservation/enhancement projects.
Prison Service Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs): A Biodiversity Action Plan that is produced in compliance with Prison Service requirements as set out in the Strategy Statement of Action for a Prison Service Biodiversity Action Plan. The Prison Service BAP comprises three stages, the first of which involves managing SSSI sites. The second stage addresses the management of sites that are not designated, but which may have land which has local, county or regional importance on biodiversity. The third stage addresses the rest of the prison estate, principally comprising urban prisons. The PSBAP falls under the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Statement for Biodiversity, the MOJ’s commitment to supporting its diverse biological estate.
Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE): Refer to LE 02 Ecological value of site and protection of ecological features

Other information

Guidance on relating ecology reports to BREEAM was provided in BREEAM New Construction 2011 Appendix F. This information will be available in a Guidance Note to be provided on the BREEAM website.

BS 42020: 2013 Section 11.1 states that the following should be included in long term management plans for habitats, species and biodiversity features:

Description and evaluation of features to be managed
Ecological trends and constraints on-site that could influence management
Aims and objectives of management
Appropriate management options for achieving aims and objectives
Prescriptions for management actions
Preparation of a work schedule (including an annual work plan capable of being rolled forward over a five year period)
Body or organisation personnel responsible for implementation of the plan
Monitoring and remedial measures (see 11.2)
Funding resources and mechanisms to ensure sustainable long term delivery of the proposed management.

BS 42020: 2013 also states that the level of detail required for any given site should be that which is necessary to ensure the effective management of the biodiversity features present.