Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (sometimes referred to as an Ecological Risk Assessment)

This type of survey is often sufficient to accompany a planning application and there are many names for this type of survey, such as Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey, Ecological Risk Assessment, Preliminary Ecological Appraisal and Ecological Scoping Survey and IEEM have recently published guidelines for Preliminary Ecological Appraisal see http://www.ieem.net/gpea.asp

This survey comprises an initial assessment of a site and whether or not there are likely to be any ecological constraints to its development.  It tells you whether or not your site contains protected habitats, habitats suitable for protected species or protected sites (such as Local Nature Reserves) and also the likelihood that these will prove to be a constraint to your development.