The Importance of Winter Bird Surveys

The Importance of Winter Bird Surveys

The Importance of Winter Bird Surveys
8 September 2023

Every autumn we see the arrival of many thousands of ducks, geese, swans and waders; north-west England is an attractive proposition with its extensive coastline, rich seas, and intertidal and grassland feeding grounds.

The Ribble Estuary, Morecombe Bay and the Dee Estuary are all within the top-four UK sites by population for non-breeding waterbirds.

Whooper Swan – Cygnus cygnus (WCA1, BAm)

The mighty whooper swan, only rivalled in size by its more sedentary cousin the mute swan, is a magnificent bird. The UK provides a winter home for internationally significant numbers of these birds and those numbers are happily increasing. This is in no small part down to the efforts of reserves throughout the region and the good practice of environmental consultancies like TEP.

Whooper swans need space. They need clear sightlines across large fields in order to feel secure when feeding on agricultural land. The vicinity of roads, footpaths, aerial obstacles and the presence of livestock are also important considerations when ascertaining the suitability of sites for this species.

Golden Plover – Pluvialis acricaria

A handsome bird of remote moorland in the summer months,-autumn sees golden plover migrate to lower altitudes and gather in dense flocks. It is therefore on farmland and some coastal areas that peoplecome across numbers of this species, still resplendent in their winter plumage. They often appear nervous on the ground, standing upright and alert. Golden plover fly high in oval flocks and readily associate with the more familiar lapwing.

TEP Ornithologists are here to help!

Disturbance caused to birds can negatively affect their overwintering and breeding success as they use precious energy to take flight more often. This can be minimised by better understanding their interactions with a site. The early autumn is the right time to commence winter bird surveys to inform projects. Such surveys are often an essential requirement for projects covering large areas of open agricultural land. Species like the whooper swan and especially golden plover can make daily feeding flights of up to 20km from their protected coastal sites, of which there are many on the Northwest coastline. Therefore, it is essential not to overlook winter bird surveys at this time of year.

TEP has a dedicated team of ornithologists that can review your project requirements and provide advice on the potential requirement for the design and undertaking of winter bird surveys. Please contact Principal Ecologist Tim Ross ( timross@tep.uk.com ) for more information.

-Tobie Wharton, Consultant Ecologist

12 June 2026
On behalf of Cheshire East Council, TEP has secured consent for the expansion of the Environmental Services Hub site. The expansion will facilitate a weekly food waste collection service for every property in the borough, helping Cheshire East Council prepare for a new statutory requirement from central government due to come into force from 2026-2027. To achieve this, we prepared and managed three planning applications: A full application for 84 new employee parking spaces, a bin storage area and a security lodge; A non-material amendment application for the reconfiguration of the existing site layout; and A variation of condition application to increase the limit on vehicle movements. The project began with a pre-application advice request, followed by discussions with the local planning authority to confirm the applications and supporting information required for submission. A key element of the project was the preparation of a planning needs case. This justified the development remaining at the Environmental Services Hub site, rather than a 'preferred site' identified within the council's Waste Plan. The case also identified the benefits of increasing recycling rates and supporting sustainable waste management across the borough. To support the applications, traffic surveys were commissioned and a Transport Statement was prepared, demonstrating that the proposals would have no negative impact on the local highway network. A Transport Note was also produced to establish the number of vehicle movements that should be permitted through the variation of condition application. Air quality and noise assessments were also undertaken to demonstrate that impacts would be limited and acceptable. 
10 June 2026
Plans for Brookleigh Primary School have received unanimous planning approval at Mid Sussex District Council's District Planning Committee on 28th May 2026. The new school, located to the east of Isaacs Lane, will provide 420 student places, alongside a 52-place nursery and a 16-place Special Support Centre. As a two-form entry school, it will support two classes per year group. This marks a proud first for Homes England as master developer, directly delivering new school places for the Brookleigh community. TEP worked in partnership with the wider project team, including CampbellReith, sixfootstudio, Fabrik, FLOH and Stace, to help bring the proposals forward. Supporting the Delivery of a New School TEP's Planning team co-ordinated the preparation of the reserved matters application, including pre-application discussions and community consultation, while our Ecology team completed site surveys and advised on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). A key part of our role was ensuring that local people and stakeholders had opportunities to engage with the proposals as they developed. In preparation for the application submission, we organised public consultation events and prepared consultation materials explaining the scheme, masterplan, access strategy, landscaping, and the proposed layout and appearance of the school. Two public exhibitions were held at an accessible venue close to the site, providing an opportunity for the local community to discuss the proposals, ask questions and share feedback. We also organised an information leaflet drop to approximately 4,000 homes and established an online consultation portal to enable people to engage digitally. The feedback received was largely positive, reflecting both the demand for new school places and the work undertaken by the project team to develop a modern, sustainable design for the Brookleigh community.
27 May 2026
We have been proud to support the regeneration of the Grade II Listed Earlestown Town Hall, one of the most historically and visually significant buildings in the town centre. Dating from the late 19th century, the Flemish-inspired civic building occupies a commanding position within Earlestown and has long served as a local landmark and community venue. Over the years, the Town Hall has played host to generations of local events and performances, including an appearance by The Beatles during the early years of their rise to fame. Commissioned by ECF, we provided heritage and archaeology consultancy services to support the redevelopment and restoration of the building as part of wider regeneration ambitions for Earlestown town centre. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, we offered heritage advice throughout the pre-application stage, helping to shape proposals that would be sympathetic to the building’s historic character while enabling it to meet modern community needs.
12 June 2026
On behalf of Cheshire East Council, TEP has secured consent for the expansion of the Environmental Services Hub site. The expansion will facilitate a weekly food waste collection service for every property in the borough, helping Cheshire East Council prepare for a new statutory requirement from central government due to come into force from 2026-2027. To achieve this, we prepared and managed three planning applications: A full application for 84 new employee parking spaces, a bin storage area and a security lodge; A non-material amendment application for the reconfiguration of the existing site layout; and A variation of condition application to increase the limit on vehicle movements. The project began with a pre-application advice request, followed by discussions with the local planning authority to confirm the applications and supporting information required for submission. A key element of the project was the preparation of a planning needs case. This justified the development remaining at the Environmental Services Hub site, rather than a 'preferred site' identified within the council's Waste Plan. The case also identified the benefits of increasing recycling rates and supporting sustainable waste management across the borough. To support the applications, traffic surveys were commissioned and a Transport Statement was prepared, demonstrating that the proposals would have no negative impact on the local highway network. A Transport Note was also produced to establish the number of vehicle movements that should be permitted through the variation of condition application. Air quality and noise assessments were also undertaken to demonstrate that impacts would be limited and acceptable. 
10 June 2026
Plans for Brookleigh Primary School have received unanimous planning approval at Mid Sussex District Council's District Planning Committee on 28th May 2026. The new school, located to the east of Isaacs Lane, will provide 420 student places, alongside a 52-place nursery and a 16-place Special Support Centre. As a two-form entry school, it will support two classes per year group. This marks a proud first for Homes England as master developer, directly delivering new school places for the Brookleigh community. TEP worked in partnership with the wider project team, including CampbellReith, sixfootstudio, Fabrik, FLOH and Stace, to help bring the proposals forward. Supporting the Delivery of a New School TEP's Planning team co-ordinated the preparation of the reserved matters application, including pre-application discussions and community consultation, while our Ecology team completed site surveys and advised on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). A key part of our role was ensuring that local people and stakeholders had opportunities to engage with the proposals as they developed. In preparation for the application submission, we organised public consultation events and prepared consultation materials explaining the scheme, masterplan, access strategy, landscaping, and the proposed layout and appearance of the school. Two public exhibitions were held at an accessible venue close to the site, providing an opportunity for the local community to discuss the proposals, ask questions and share feedback. We also organised an information leaflet drop to approximately 4,000 homes and established an online consultation portal to enable people to engage digitally. The feedback received was largely positive, reflecting both the demand for new school places and the work undertaken by the project team to develop a modern, sustainable design for the Brookleigh community.
12 June 2026
On behalf of Cheshire East Council, TEP has secured consent for the expansion of the Environmental Services Hub site. The expansion will facilitate a weekly food waste collection service for every property in the borough, helping Cheshire East Council prepare for a new statutory requirement from central government due to come into force from 2026-2027. To achieve this, we prepared and managed three planning applications: A full application for 84 new employee parking spaces, a bin storage area and a security lodge; A non-material amendment application for the reconfiguration of the existing site layout; and A variation of condition application to increase the limit on vehicle movements. The project began with a pre-application advice request, followed by discussions with the local planning authority to confirm the applications and supporting information required for submission. A key element of the project was the preparation of a planning needs case. This justified the development remaining at the Environmental Services Hub site, rather than a 'preferred site' identified within the council's Waste Plan. The case also identified the benefits of increasing recycling rates and supporting sustainable waste management across the borough. To support the applications, traffic surveys were commissioned and a Transport Statement was prepared, demonstrating that the proposals would have no negative impact on the local highway network. A Transport Note was also produced to establish the number of vehicle movements that should be permitted through the variation of condition application. Air quality and noise assessments were also undertaken to demonstrate that impacts would be limited and acceptable. 
10 June 2026
Plans for Brookleigh Primary School have received unanimous planning approval at Mid Sussex District Council's District Planning Committee on 28th May 2026. The new school, located to the east of Isaacs Lane, will provide 420 student places, alongside a 52-place nursery and a 16-place Special Support Centre. As a two-form entry school, it will support two classes per year group. This marks a proud first for Homes England as master developer, directly delivering new school places for the Brookleigh community. TEP worked in partnership with the wider project team, including CampbellReith, sixfootstudio, Fabrik, FLOH and Stace, to help bring the proposals forward. Supporting the Delivery of a New School TEP's Planning team co-ordinated the preparation of the reserved matters application, including pre-application discussions and community consultation, while our Ecology team completed site surveys and advised on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). A key part of our role was ensuring that local people and stakeholders had opportunities to engage with the proposals as they developed. In preparation for the application submission, we organised public consultation events and prepared consultation materials explaining the scheme, masterplan, access strategy, landscaping, and the proposed layout and appearance of the school. Two public exhibitions were held at an accessible venue close to the site, providing an opportunity for the local community to discuss the proposals, ask questions and share feedback. We also organised an information leaflet drop to approximately 4,000 homes and established an online consultation portal to enable people to engage digitally. The feedback received was largely positive, reflecting both the demand for new school places and the work undertaken by the project team to develop a modern, sustainable design for the Brookleigh community.
27 May 2026
We have been proud to support the regeneration of the Grade II Listed Earlestown Town Hall, one of the most historically and visually significant buildings in the town centre. Dating from the late 19th century, the Flemish-inspired civic building occupies a commanding position within Earlestown and has long served as a local landmark and community venue. Over the years, the Town Hall has played host to generations of local events and performances, including an appearance by The Beatles during the early years of their rise to fame. Commissioned by ECF, we provided heritage and archaeology consultancy services to support the redevelopment and restoration of the building as part of wider regeneration ambitions for Earlestown town centre. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, we offered heritage advice throughout the pre-application stage, helping to shape proposals that would be sympathetic to the building’s historic character while enabling it to meet modern community needs.