Background
Stansted Airport is London’s third-busiest airport, serving 200 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The airport works hard to reduce its environmental impacts, including those related to water and land quality and biodiversity.
Scope of services
Since 2011, we have provided ecological input to various small- and large-scale developments at several sites around the airport and have conducted environmental monitoring. Our work has involved
- protected species surveys and subsequent production of method statements, in consultation with Natural England, enabling work to take place in the proximity of known great crested newt ponds
- reptile surveys and translocations
- advice on habitat assessments, habitat creation and biodiversity offsetting, related to offsetting the impacts of developments on-site and supporting a ‘no net biodiversity loss’ policy commitment
- biodiversity net gain assessments.
RSK Biocensus has developed an online GIS resource to enable the project teams to view the results of ecological surveys and constraints to development around the airport. In addition, we are conducting a biological water quality monitoring programme to help the airport reduce the environmental impact of run-off from its large landholdings. This has involved carrying out aquatic invertebrate surveys, laboratory identification and data analysis using biological monitoring working party, number of taxa and average score per taxon (ASPT) indices. Our monitoring informs an annual report to London Stansted Airport on the performance of its water treatment systems.
Impact
We have had long-term involvement in carrying out ecological surveys, assessments and environmental monitoring at Stansted Airport, helping to reduce the airport’s environmental impacts and supporting developments that minimise impacts on local biodiversity.