04 - Land Use and Ecology - BREEAM Knowledge Base

Change in ecological value- non-native species - KBCN0221

Non-native species specified by the Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE) can be included in ecology calculations. There are no requirements set for LE 03 relating to the specification of non-native species (this differs from the requirements in LE 04). If an SQE specifies non-native plants for the development and confirms the species count pre and post development, then non-native species can be included in the ecological change calculation.

Contaminated Land- No contamination - KBCN0372

Where the assessed site does not contain any contamination then the credits for this issue are not available by default. To encourage the use of previously developed and/or contaminated land and avoid land which has not been previously disturbed.

Contaminated Land- Presence of radon gas - KBCN0155

Naturally occurring radon is not considered as contamination in relation to BREEAM. However, where radioactive substances have been introduced as a consequence of human activities, that land would then be considered to be ‘contaminated with radioactivity’ and remediation of such contamination would fall under the scope of the relevant BREEAM issue.

Suitably Qualified Ecologist – Other recognised organisations - KBCN0192

With regards to the definition of a Suitably Qualified Ecologist, in addition to the organisations already listed within the manual, full members of the following organisations are also deemed SQE's;

Royal Society of Biology
Institute of Environmental Sciences

Provided the individual meets all other requirements as outlined in the definition of a Suitably Qualified Ecologist (SQE).

Timescales for management and maintenance responsibilities - KBCN0370

Where there are requirements for management and maintenance outputs or activities these should, as a minimum, cover a five year period following occupation of the development for the phase of development being assessed. This timeframe applies to the following management and maintenance activities:

allocating responsibilities for management and maintenance
plans or strategies
monitoring and reporting processes

Management and maintenance activities are often fundamental in ensuring that the original sustainability measure or approach is successful over the long term.

Timing of Ecological survey/report - KBCN0292

If the ecologist's site survey and/or report is completed at a later stage than required, the assessor would need to be satisfied that it was produced early enough for the recommendations to influence the Concept Design/design brief stage and leads to a positive outcome in terms of protection and enhancement of site ecology.

21/02/2017 Wording clarified.