Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW)
Active ecological oversight during construction, keeping your site compliant, protected and moving when ecology is a live planning risk.
Do You Need an Ecological Clerk of Works?
Whether your site is live or about to start, if ecological conditions, licences or method statements apply, an Ecological Clerk of Works can provide on-site ecological support throughout the construction process.
Once construction begins, ecological risk becomes immediate. An ECoW exists to manage that risk in real time, so your programme does not stall due to avoidable legal or planning breaches.
Where surveys and reports set the rules, an ECoW makes sure those rules are applied correctly on site.
Our Approach
Active On-site Risk Control
Immediate ecological decision-making during works.
Clear Compliance Oversight
Alignment with planning conditions, licences and RAMS.
Contractor-level clarity
Advice site teams can act on instantly.
Integrated close-out reporting
Clean handover into condition discharge and regulator review.
ECoW Support Structured Around Your Programme
Ecological Support
We review ecological controls before works begin so site teams know exactly what applies, when, and why.
This typically includes:
- Reviewing CEMP / CEMP-ECO documents
- Reviewing method statements and RAMS
- Advising on timing constraints such as nesting birds or seasonal species windows
- Carrying out pre-commencement checks (for example nesting birds, badgers or reptiles)
- Briefing site managers on ecological constraints before mobilisation
Outcome: fewer first-week stoppages and no reactive redesign.
Ecological Oversight
Ecological oversight is available while work is happening, not after problems arise. During construction, the ECoW provides active, on-site ecological control.
Support may include:
- Watching briefs during vegetation clearance
- Oversight of tree felling, demolition or groundworks
- Toolbox talks for contractors
- On-site advice when unexpected ecological issues arise
- Immediate intervention where there is a legal or licence risk
Outcome: risks handled immediately, without escalation.
Compliance and Reporting
After works, the ECoW supports condition discharge and record keeping with evidence planners can rely on.
This may involve:
- Preparing compliance or completion reports
- Confirming mitigation has been delivered correctly
- Liaising with planners, consultants and regulators
- Updating as-built mitigation information
Outcome: smoother discharge of conditions and fewer late queries.
Why Appoint an ECoW?
Risk control.
- A single ecological breach can halt a site
- Enforcement action is costly and public
- Delays compound quickly once works stop
- Councils increasingly expect ECoW presence on medium to large schemes
An ECoW prevents small issues from becoming legal problems.
Case Insight
Your Next Step
If your site is live — or about to start — ecological risk needs active control.
We’ll confirm whether ECoW input is required and scope it proportionately from the outset.
Phone: 0800 494 7479
Email: [email protected]
Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) - FAQs
Is an Ecological Clerk of Works legally required?
Sometimes. ECoW involvement is commonly secured through planning conditions, protected-species licences, RAMS or ecological method statements. Even where not explicitly required, many developers appoint an ECoW as a preventative measure to manage ecological risk during construction and keep programmes stable.
Is an ECoW the same as ecological monitoring?
No. Monitoring records outcomes after works have taken place. An Ecological Clerk of Works provides live, on-site ecological oversight, guiding activities as they happen and resolving issues before they escalate into non-compliance.
How is an ECoW different from a CEMP or CEMP-ECO?
A CEMP or CEMP-ECO sets out agreed mitigation on paper.
An ECoW ensures those measures are correctly implemented on site, at the right time, and in response to real conditions rather than assumptions.
How is an ECoW different from a Habitat or Species Action Plan?
Action Plans define long-term ecological strategy and outcomes.
An ECoW manages day-to-day ecological control during construction, when designs meet ground conditions and timing pressures.
What authority does an ECoW have on site?
An Ecological Clerk of Works has the authority to advise on pause, adjustment or sequencing of works where ecological compliance is at risk.
This role protects developers by preventing accidental breaches, enforcement action or licence non-compliance, and by resolving issues before they become costly delays.
Is ECoW support seasonal?
No. ECoW services operate year-round. While some surveys that inform conditions are seasonal, construction-phase ecological management is required whenever works are underway.
Are Ecological Clerks of Works only used on large developments?
No. Smaller or constrained sites often carry higher proportional ecological risk, particularly where protected species licences, sensitive habitats or compressed programmes are involved. ECoW input is frequently most valuable on these sites.
Why do councils expect ECoW involvement more often now?
Because enforcement expectations have increased. Local planning authorities increasingly require ecological conditions to be actively managed and evidenced during construction, not simply referenced in reports after works are complete.
