Consultancy

Cator North, Kidbrooke

London Wildlife Trust Consultancy

London Wildlife Trust Consultancy offers a range of professional ecological services to both public and private sector clients.

Our purpose is aligned with that of London Wildlife Trust, namely, to embed wildlife-rich green spaces and green infrastructure into the built environment to enhance the city’s ecology, and to support local communities to better understand and care for the natural environment. We are not-for-profit.

We do this by offering a range of tailored services to a range of public and private sector organisations and institutions. 

If you would like to find out more or discuss how we might be able to help you, please email: jllewellyn@wildlondon.org.uk

Selected recent projects

A white graphic of trees and tower blocks on a bright pink background

Urban Greening for BNG: Guidance

(GLA)

London Wildlife Trust were commissioned by the Greater London Authority to prepare guidance which shows how the mandatory requirement to achieve a biodiversity net gain (BNG) can be aligned with the London Plan policy on urban greening and the urban greening factor (UGF).

The guide shows how the careful consideration of both BNG and UGF at concept design, and throughout the development design process, can help create engaging, healthy and resilient places, that provides new habitat for wildlife whilst enabling the city to adapt to climate change. It introduces simple design considerations for different types of urban greening features which help to make space for nature in our built environments.

A expanse of wildflowers lines a stretch of water to the side of the body of water is a row of red bricked flats

Cator Park, Kidbrooke

Kidbrooke Village

(Berkeley Homes)

Having developed a strong partnership with Berkeley Homes in the design and regeneration of Woodberry Down and Woodberry Wetlands in Hackney, London Wildlife Trust was commissioned to review and evolve the masterplan for Cator Park at Kidbrooke Village.  

The Trust worked closely with landscape architects and civil engineers to introduce a rich mosaic of habitats and vegetation types to increase the ecological value and achieve Berkeley Homes’ commitment to biodiversity net gain. The Trust also ensured local community engagement with nature through on-site interpretation and volunteering, and they engaged the Council’s planning and parks teams to ensure the project extended the green infrastructure network beyond the site boundaries. 

 

A graphic map of Hackney's nature recovery network

Local Nature Recovery Plan

(LB Hackney)

Having reviewed the network of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) in Hackney, London Wildlife Trust were commissioned to prepare a Local Nature Recovery Plan as a component part of the borough’s Green Infrastructure Strategy.

The Local Nature Recovery Plan shows how, through a combination of habitat creation, enhancement of SINCs and  creation of green corridors, a nature recovery network can be created across the borough to conserve and enhance priority habitats and species. The plan was produced in consultation with local nature conservation groups and local experts to ensure the proposals were ambitious but also realistic and achievable.

Canada Water Masterplan _Dock View_01 © Townshend Landscape Architects

Canada Water Masterplan Dock View Credit Townshend Landscape Architects

Canada Water

(British Land)

British Land has commissioned London Wildlife Trust as strategic ecologists for their large-scale Canada Water regeneration project. London Wildlife Trust Consultancy continues to support the development of a landscape strategy to ensure the generation of ecologically-rich green infrastructure and a biodiversity net gain with a particular focus on the ecological enhancement of Canada Water dock, a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. 

A map of Canada Water

SINC Review

(LB Newham)

London Wildlife Trust were tasked by Newham Council to review the Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) across the borough in advance of the preparation of a new Local Plan.

The Trust’s ecologists assessed the status and quality of each existing SINC and classified each site as Metropolitan, Borough or Local SINCs according to whether their nature conservation value had improved or declined. The Trust also identified land that should be identified as potential new SINCs in the consultation version of the Local Plan, including preparing new citations and site boundaries, and identifying opportunities to reduce deficiencies in access to nature across the borough.

Vegetation growing on the top of a urban roof

King's Cross Green Roof credit Tony Whileman 

King’s Cross

(Argent LLP)

King’s Cross is one of the largest and most high-profile developments in London. As part of the site-wide landscape strategy, London Wildlife Trust was commissioned by Argent LLP to develop an Urban Greening assessment and ongoing monitoring and evaluation programme to establish the success of the strategy and make practical improvements where necessary. 

A digital artists rendition of a green landscape with tall buildings in the background

Southall Green Quarter

(Berkeley Homes)

Berkeley Homes’ Southall Green Quarter is a remarkable development with the aim of building one of the most biodiverse developments in the UK via the transformation of a redundant industrial site into a place rich in flora and fauna. Nature is at the very heart of The Green Quarter and we are delighted that Berkeley has partnered with London Wildlife Trust Consultancy, as experts in biodiversity, to help nature recovery across the site by providing new habitats for wildlife and plants to thrive.  The wetlands will sit in eight acres of parkland at the centre of the development and bring nature right to the doorstep of residents at The Green Quarter.

A digital artists rendition of two people walking on a path leading to a  hospital obscured by trees

St Ann’s Hospital

(Peabody)

London Wildlife Trust Consultancy was appointed by Peabody (a London based Housing Association) to support the Client in its development of a predominantly residential area in the London Borough of Hackney. In addition to provision of new housing, the development critically needed to retain an existing area of woodland which had been designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC)). Putting this at the heart of the design process, and working closely with Peabody, the team has designed a new, ecologically rich public park and  sensitively extended the existing SINC woodland, and also enhanced the natural conservation value of the site for the benefit of the local community.

A digital artists rendition of a green urban landscape with tall buildings in the background

O2 Centre, Finchley

(LandSec)

London Wildlife Trust was proud to support Landsec in the design development for the regeneration of the O2 Centre, Finchley Road, London. Landsec and London Wildlife Trust Consultancy worked closely with the local community and the London Borough of Camden to develop an exciting new comprehensive masterplan for the O2 Centre and the surrounding land with strategic objectives of ecology, sustainability and a locally distinctive identity. Our consultancy team continue to work alongside the Client to engage and consult key stakeholders and local community groups to ensure a primary focus on wildlife, biodiversity and ecology.

Meridian Water Black Point Design

Black Point Design 

Meridian Water

(Enfield Council)

London Wildlife Trust were appointed by Enfield Council to assist in developing the Meridian Water masterplan with specific reference to nature and biodiversity. Having assessed the open spaces and the Council’s draft masterplan, London Wildlife Trust Consultancy provided the Meridian Water design team with tangible guidance and ideas on how nature can provide added value to the development

Frequently asked questions

Where do the profits go?

As a charity, the Trust cannot generate profit, but any surplus we generate from our consultancy is reinvested back into meeting London Wildlife Trust’s charitable objectives of nature conservation, education, and research. The consultancy’s financial management is audited as part of the Trust’s annual accounts.

Working with developers

We are acutely aware that new development can be a driver of biodiversity loss within London. The Trust campaigns and advocates through our policy work to ensure that planning, guidance and legislation will result in minimising that loss and securing net gains for biodiversity.  Whilst the trajectory of planning policy has been mostly in an environmentally positive direction over the past 40 years, the pressures of London’s growth (meaning 66,000 homes to be built a year through to 2041) still require expert advice to guide development to secure gains for biodiversity. For this reason, we will only work with developers who wish to contribute to nature’s recovery through high-quality nature-based plan and designs.

We also offer opportunities for organisations to contribute to our work as a corporate supporter.

Conflicts of interest?

The Trust will not work on commissions that we believe cannot result in net gains for biodiversity, and/or merely to secure planning permission.  We will, where possible, object to planning proposals that would result in significant damage or loss to wildlife habitats or key species’ populations.

Get in touch

We are happy to look at your project in more detail and discuss how we can help.

Email jllewellyn@wildlondon.org.uk to start a conversation.