RSK has cemented its position as one of the UK’s largest providers of ecological services by acquiring Southern Ecological Solutions (SES), a multidisciplinary business that provides ecological, arboriculture and landscape design consulting services.
Based in Essex, UK, SES has a team of 52 qualified ecologists, landscape architects, arboriculturists and coordination and support staff. Clients range from large multinationals and conservation charities to homeowners. SES is working with Barratt Homes and the RSPB on a large residential housing development, residential housing development, ‘Kingsbrook’, an exemplary ecologically led development. Kingsbrook is a case study within the biodiversity net gain best practice principles for development and was featured as a case study for best practice within Defra’s 25-year environment plan.
Over the last five years, SES has grown in the infrastructure sector, working on projects such as HS2. It recently started work on the Sizewell C project and supports several clients with their programmes of rail and power network improvement schemes.
Its ecological work includes due diligence reporting, land appraisals, expert witness services, project management, habitat design and creation, protected species surveys and ecological impact assessments. The in-house arboriculture team offers a complete portfolio of services including tree surveys for planning purposes, arboriculture impact assessments, arboriculture method statements, chlorophyll influorescence testing, air spade exploration and all associated tree surgery work.
The landscape design and planning teams specialise in strategic projects, combining an innovative and context-led approach to design. They have the skills in-house to take projects from design to implementation and management. SES has a rail team that supports a growing portfolio of rail infrastructure clients; it is qualified with the Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme and provides certificated staff.