Planning & Development

As an environmental consultant, FiveRivers has been supporting developers with surveying and assessing the suitability of their land, along with mitigating environmental impacts for over 25 years. Our support extends beyond pre-planning and our full offering includes:

• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) – We offer a full BNG service covering everything from Preliminary Ecological Assessments (PEAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) to River Condition Assessments (RCAs) for watercourses. Our in-house team manages the entire process, from baseline surveys and design through to sourcing BNG units, on-the-ground implementation, and long-term management and monitoring.
• Terrestrial and Aquatic Surveys – As part of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and baseline monitoring, we conduct a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic ecology surveys. This includes protected species surveys such as water voles and bats, as well as specialist aquatic work including fish surveys, macroinvertebrate sampling, and habitat assessments.
• Ecological Mitigation – Where habitat loss is unavoidable, we design and implement ecological mitigation strategies through habitat creation or translocation. This includes creating new features like ponds, bat houses, otter holts, and reptile and amphibian hibernacula, as well as the translocation of species-rich turf and woodland soils to suitable receptor sites.
• Nutrient Neutrality (NN) – We help ensure residential developments avoid adding nutrient loads to designated river catchments. Our solutions range from wetland treatment systems and land use changes to bespoke wastewater treatment systems and septic tank upgrades all designed to deliver no net increase in nutrient inputs.
• Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) – SuDS help manage surface water runoff while enhancing biodiversity. We design and deliver systems such as attenuation ponds, swales, and wetlands that capture and store runoff, reduce flood risk, and create valuable habitats for wetland plants, insects, birds, and amphibians.

We help our clients overcome these frequently faced challenges:

• Navigating a complex and rapidly evolving legislative framework around land management and the environment — including ongoing reforms to land subsidies and the rollout of schemes such as mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Nutrient Neutrality (NN).
• Understanding and meeting the increasingly stringent requirements for environmental and ecological integration in development projects, especially when preparing for planning applications and statutory consents.
• Identifying and accessing emerging funding opportunities tied to natural capital and nature-based solutions, which can be difficult to interpret and leverage without specialist support.
• Avoiding the common pitfall of late-stage environmental compliance, which often arises from limited ecological insight early in the project lifecycle — leading to delays and increased costs.

FiveRivers is a UK-based environmental consultancy with a strong team of experienced ecological and environmental specialists. We offer multi-disciplinary expertise to help ensure that your development meets both legislative requirements and environmental ambitions, supporting successful outcomes for clients, regulators, and nature alike.

Engaging our team early in the planning and design process allows us to guide your scheme from initial feasibility through to construction and long-term compliance. We offer tailored support at every stage, from baseline surveys and environmental assessments, to habitat design, mitigation strategies, and ecological implementation.

In a time of rapidly evolving policy and regulation, we provide clarity and confidence. Our consultants help you navigate frameworks such as Biodiversity Net Gain, Nutrient Neutrality, and SuDS, ensuring not only compliance but also identifying cost-effective, nature-positive opportunities that enhance your project’s environmental value.

FiveRivers has proven results undertaking environmental monitoring, ecological design and construction on schemes working with Avison Young, Talyor Wimpey and Rydon Group to name a few.