Search Types
There are two main search types. You will be asked to choose one of these when you order a search.
Standard Search - For a search area up to 1km from a single grid reference. You will receive the following outputs:
- Report - Showing protected, priority and locally important species, habitats, international, national and local biodiversity & geodiversity sites.
- Map - A scaled map, on an appropriate Ordnance Survey base, detailing all species and sites found in the search.
- Habitats - A scaled map showing the relevant extract from CCW's Phase 1 Habitat Survey.
Custom Search - For anything other than a Standard Search. This will include search areas larger than 1km, complicated search boundaries and searches with more than a single site. It will also include requests for all species or specific species groups. You will receive custom outputs (for example several maps), but these may follow the format of the standard outputs.
Please note that for most searches we supply both a Confidential and Public version of the report. The Public version protects the location of sensitive species and can be used where the report is shared with anyone other than those named on the Data Enquiry and Release Form. N.B. Information supplied is based upon data held in our database at the time of the search and any terms stipulated by the data supplier.
Species Categories
Species data are organised into the following categories based on national and local conservation status. Click on the category to see which species are included:
- Category 1 Species - Species with European and/or UK Legal Protection, Section 42 [NERC] Species or UK BAP Priority Species
- Category 2 Species - Global Red List, British Red Data Book, Nationally Rare & Scarce, Welsh Red and Amber Birds & Welsh Vascular Plant Red Data List, where these are not identified under Category 1
- Category 3 Species - LBAP Species and Locally Important Species as specified by local experts, where these are not identified under Categories 1 or 2
- Category 4 Species - All other species not identified under Categories 1, 2 or 3
We also maintain a list of invasive non-native plant species as specified in Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
You can specify which categories you require when requesting information.
Certain species are given a 'mobile species' radius to reflect their potential territory.
Our data searches include a search for mobile species if the search buffer is 2000m or less.
Charges
Before you order a search, please be aware that we usually charge for our services (see our Charging Policy for further details), although there is no charge for quotations. For Commercial Users, such as Environmental Consultants, we charge £100 + VAT for a Standard Search. For Custom Searches we estimate the cost based on £100 + VAT for the first hour and £75 + VAT for subsequent hours. We will only charge for the time taken to run the search and produce the outputs. Our estimates are based on whether the following are required:
- Pre-processing - Applicable only if the search location needs to be digitised.
- Multiple maps - Applicable only for large search areas, ones with complicated boundaries or many sites.
- Non-standard species - Applicable only if all species or specific named species are required.
Express Service Charge - We aim to complete searches within 10 days of agreeing the details, however if you wish us to complete the search within 3 days we will charge a further £35 + VAT. Please ask for this service once you have received your quote.
Paper Reports and Maps- If you wish to receive paper copies we will make an additional charge of £10 to cover printing and postage.