EcoNorth > Helping a Local Entrepreneur With Shepherds’ Huts

Helping a Local Entrepreneur With Shepherds’ Huts

Shepherds Huts Helping Local Entrepreneur

For the Shepherds’ Huts project, our client wanted to create an area for holiday accommodation on his land where people can enjoy the countryside and wildlife in specially constructed shepherds’ huts accommodation. EcoNorth supported this local entrepreneur through advice and survey effort to ensure that the planning application progressed smoothly and that the wildlife benefited too.

The design consisted of a proposal to site five portable shepherds’ huts within a pasture field, formerly used as an old caravan field. The whole site was also to be planted with a wild meadow mix to improve the area for guest enjoyment and for wildlife.

EcoNorth’s role for the project was to undertake a survey and advise the client on ecology in advance of their planning application for the site, which was successful. To achieve this, our Ecological Consultants undertook a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA). The PEA is designed to survey the site for the habitats present, including botanical composition, recording protected and notable species that are present on or in close proximity to the site, as well as assessing the habitats’ suitability for such species. The information gathered through the PEA aided our Ecologists in providing advice on site design, mitigation, and enhancement options to ensure species protection and encourage biodiversity gain.

In addition to this, EcoNorth provided Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) services once planning permission was granted, in accordance with planning conditions in relation to protected species that had potential to be on site, such as badger and great crested newt.

Project Start & End Date November 2016 – May 2017
Client Mr Hardie
Location Westfield House Farm, Thropton, Rothbury
Contract Value £1,200

“EcoNorth provided me a great service for my Shepherds Huts project. They worked very quick and they guided me through the planning process with regards to ecology. From there they worked on site with other contractors to ensure species protection and that my planning conditions were met. I would highly recommend EcoNorth and would definitely use them again!”

Tim Hardie,  owner of Westfield House Farm Bed and Breakfast.