If you’re planning a development, you may have heard the term Construction Ecological Management Plan (CEMP) in planning conversations. It’s the roadmap for protecting the environment during the build and contractors, developers, and site managers use it to keep wildlife, habitats, and landscapes safe.
Different Types of Ecological Management Plans
Your version will be defined by the location, complexity, and size of your development:
- Full CEMP: Covers every environmental consideration for larger, more complex builds.
- Outline CEMP: A general plan presented at an early stage of planning, which gets expanded in later stages.
- Species-Specific Management Plan: Necessary in the event you encounter protected species on the site and require species-specific protection protocols.
These plans are often guided by specialist surveys, such as ecology surveys or a biodiversity net gain assessment, which helps demonstrate how a development will enhance rather than reduce biodiversity.
Why is it Needed & What Does It Include?
A CEMP is not a tick-box exercise; it’s how you demonstrate to the planning authority that your development will comply with legal obligations, such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and best practice.
Whilst all plans vary, they should include the following:
- How you’ll protect habitats and species during the build
- Findings from your ecological surveys
- Steps to prevent pollution from reaching soil or water
- How waste will be managed and recycled
- The responsibilities of the construction team and ecological experts
Landscape integration is also a key feature, often informed by landscape surveys to ensure the development blends with and supports its surrounding environment.
Who Needs it & Who Prepares it?
CEMPs are usually needed for developers, contractors, and project managers working on developments that could affect local ecology.
An ecological consultant or environmental specialist will often write the plan, but it’s the principal contractor or developer who carries the legal responsibility to ensure it’s accurate, implemented, and followed on site. The local planning authority will review and approve it before work can begin.
When Should the CEMP Be Submitted?
In most cases, a CEMP is a pre-construction requirement, meaning you must get it signed off before any work starts so, to avoid this, make sure to prepare it alongside other essentials like protected species surveys.
Can Construction Go Ahead Before the CEMP is Approved?
No, if a CEMP forms part of your planning conditions, starting without one can result in fines, enforcement notices, and considerable hold-ups.
During the process of buying a plot to construct on, a general ecology survey will reveal to you such needs well in advance.
Example CEMP Template
Here’s a short outline to help you see what’s typically included:
- Project Details: Location, site description, and contact list
- Legislation & Planning Conditions: The rules and requirements you need to meet
- Baseline Ecological Information: Results from your ecological surveys
- Mitigation Measures: Actions to protect species and habitats
- Pollution Prevention: How you’ll keep soil, water, and air clean
- Waste & Materials Management Plans for storage, disposal, and recycling
- Roles & Responsibilities: Who’s doing what, and how it will be monitored
- Monitoring & Reporting Schedule: How compliance will be recorded and reported
How Greenlight Can Help
At Greenlight, we’ve supported countless development projects with practical, compliant CEMPs. Our team provides the full range of ecological, landscape, and arboricultural surveys, with expert advice on the schedule of surveys, species protection, and enhancing site biodiversity.
Get in touch today for help with your Construction Ecological Management Plan.
