Protecting Sandwell’s Wildlife Sites

Protecting Sandwell’s Wildlife Sites

Protecting Sandwell’s Wildlife Sites
January 16, 2025

TEP was appointed by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council to assess 18 locally designated wildlife sites within the borough to inform their new Local Plan.

We conducted a habitat survey at each site, followed by evaluations using the Birmingham and Black Country guidance for local site selection. These evaluations were informed by our habitat surveys, local species records, and historical survey data where available. All 18 sites were already designated as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) or Sites of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC) and the purpose of the surveys was to determine whether the sites still meet the criteria for their respective designations.

In collaboration with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, and EcoRecord (the local biodiversity records centre), we produced evaluation reports for each site. These reports included the necessary data to support any proposed changes to site designations and provide a valuable ecological record for the area. Local designations play a crucial role in protecting biodiversity-rich sites that lack statutory protections. Periodic assessments ensure these areas truly reflect their designated ecological value, ensuring that key habitats are both recognised and preserved.

This project was a rewarding opportunity for our team, allowing us to contribute to the protection of biodiversity in Sandwell for future generations.

If you require assessments of locally designated sites to inform Local Plans, identify biodiversity net gain opportunities, or conduct habitat surveys, we would be happy to assist. Please get in touch using EcoQuotes@tep.uk.com.

November 12, 2026
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Built in 1873 as part of the former Whittingham Asylum, the Grade II listed Church of St John has stood within the Whittingham landscape for more than 150 years. Designed by Manchester architect Henry Littler, the church remained in use until the hospital closed in 1995. Today, its significance lies not only in its architecture and historic associations, but in the surviving details that tell the story of the building, from stencilled decoration and high-quality timberwork to its distinctive cast-iron columns. To help inform the church’s future management, TEP’s Historic Environment and Archaeology team was commissioned to prepare a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for Homes England. The work began with understanding what makes the building significant. An onsite appraisal and condition review were combined with an assessment of its heritage significance, including the contribution made by its setting. This allowed the team to identify important surviving features and consider the issues affecting the building before translating that evidence into practical principles for its ongoing management.
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Growing People CIC at Lanjeth Nursery received a TEP Environment Grant to help improve access to the organisation's restored pond habitats in Cornwall.
November 12, 2026
Climate change is already affecting the historic environment. Flooding, extreme heat, drought, ground movement, coastal change and changes in vegetation can all affect the survival and management of heritage assets, buried archaeology and historic landscapes. For our Heritage team , responding to climate change means more than recording risks. It is an opportunity to help clients plan for change, protect what matters and support nature recovery and low-carbon development. An integrated approach to climate resilience At TEP, our heritage specialists work alongside colleagues in arboriculture, ecology, landscape management and blue-green infrastructure. Together, we consider heritage, climate resilience, biodiversity, water management and long-term stewardship as connected priorities, rather than separate issues. 
October 30, 2026
Built in 1873 as part of the former Whittingham Asylum, the Grade II listed Church of St John has stood within the Whittingham landscape for more than 150 years. Designed by Manchester architect Henry Littler, the church remained in use until the hospital closed in 1995. Today, its significance lies not only in its architecture and historic associations, but in the surviving details that tell the story of the building, from stencilled decoration and high-quality timberwork to its distinctive cast-iron columns. To help inform the church’s future management, TEP’s Historic Environment and Archaeology team was commissioned to prepare a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for Homes England. The work began with understanding what makes the building significant. An onsite appraisal and condition review were combined with an assessment of its heritage significance, including the contribution made by its setting. This allowed the team to identify important surviving features and consider the issues affecting the building before translating that evidence into practical principles for its ongoing management.
November 12, 2026
Climate change is already affecting the historic environment. Flooding, extreme heat, drought, ground movement, coastal change and changes in vegetation can all affect the survival and management of heritage assets, buried archaeology and historic landscapes. For our Heritage team , responding to climate change means more than recording risks. It is an opportunity to help clients plan for change, protect what matters and support nature recovery and low-carbon development. An integrated approach to climate resilience At TEP, our heritage specialists work alongside colleagues in arboriculture, ecology, landscape management and blue-green infrastructure. Together, we consider heritage, climate resilience, biodiversity, water management and long-term stewardship as connected priorities, rather than separate issues. 
October 30, 2026
Built in 1873 as part of the former Whittingham Asylum, the Grade II listed Church of St John has stood within the Whittingham landscape for more than 150 years. Designed by Manchester architect Henry Littler, the church remained in use until the hospital closed in 1995. Today, its significance lies not only in its architecture and historic associations, but in the surviving details that tell the story of the building, from stencilled decoration and high-quality timberwork to its distinctive cast-iron columns. To help inform the church’s future management, TEP’s Historic Environment and Archaeology team was commissioned to prepare a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for Homes England. The work began with understanding what makes the building significant. An onsite appraisal and condition review were combined with an assessment of its heritage significance, including the contribution made by its setting. This allowed the team to identify important surviving features and consider the issues affecting the building before translating that evidence into practical principles for its ongoing management.
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Growing People CIC at Lanjeth Nursery received a TEP Environment Grant to help improve access to the organisation's restored pond habitats in Cornwall.