Client: Glenbeigh Construction Ltd
BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methods. It is an opt-in assessment and certification scheme (run by BRE) that is widely considered the best practice in sustainable building design. The BREEAM assessment is a point based system that recognises various measures of environmental performance in categories ranging from energy to ecology.
BREEAM encourages ecological surveying of development sites prior to the construction phase, thus facilitating early identification of sensitive habitats or species and incorporation of ecological considerations at an early stage of building design and development, besides also providing base-line data with which to compare site biodiversity post-construction. Further actions that can be taken to satisfy the ecology section of BREEAM assessments include conservation/enhancement of existing valuable habitats, habitat recreation, sensitive planting or management regimes within landscaping, installation of green roofs or implementation of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems.
Recording aquatic invertebrates from a nearby stream, photo by Simon Barron
BRE require that ecology reports are carried out by a ‘Suitably Qualified Ecologist’ (SQE) i.e. someone educated and trained in ecology and conservation principles and holding full membership of a suitable professional body. A large proportion of BEC staff qualify as SQEs.
In 2011 BEC Consultants produced a BREEAM ecology report for Glenbeigh Construction Ltd in relation to development of an extension to the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise. The report was based upon a comprehensive botanical survey, incidental fauna recording and kick-sampling of a nearby stream, and clearly out-lined recommended actions for fulfilment of the various criteria as outlined by BRE.