Hiring – Assistant Ecologist

We have an opportunity for an Graduate/Assistant Ecologist to join our small friendly team in Sheffield. The practice is long standing and provides multi-disciplinary consultancy services including ecology, landscape and arboriculture.

We have a wide variety of projects at nationwide locations and our focus is to provide a joined up service incorporating ecology, landscape and arboriculture, from project inception, through planning and delivery on site.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and ambitious individual, with good technical knowledge. Your role will involve assisting on a range of projects with our ecology team, and duties will include:

• Assisting with ecological surveys for a range of fauna species

• Assisting with on habitat surveys, with a focus on UK Habs surveys

• Keeping accurate field notes

• Preparing Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and Habitat Plans

• Preparing Biodiversity Net Gain metrics

Working within our team will provide numerous opportunities to expand your knowledge and capabilities in ecology and environmental consultancy, as well as training opportunities and career progression.

Due to the nature of the work, the position will involve working on sites at distance from Sheffield and out-of-hours work so flexibility will be required.

Applicants should have the following qualifications/experience:

• Degree in Ecology, Biological Science or similar, and eligible for Qualifying or Associate membership of CIEEM

• Full UK driving licence

• Previous habitat and/or species surveying experience would be advantageous

We are looking for a confident and enthusiastic individual with good communication skills, the ability to fit into our friendly and hardworking team.

We would also consider applications for a flexible part-time position, so please get in touch.

To apply please e-mail mail@weddles.co.uk sending a CV and covering letter.

Applications by 27th April 2023. Although earlier applications encouraged!

No third parties or agencies.

Welcome Cian Oldfield!

We’re delighted to welcome Cian Oldfield to the team. Cian has recently completed his Master of Research in Evolution and Behaviour at the University of Sheffield. He previously completed Biology BSc (Hons) at the University of Sheffield. Cian has extensive experience in both field and laboratory work and brings with him a wealth of experience working with Great Crested Newts, having conducted extensive behavioural experiments over the 2022 breeding season.

Cian is also an avid skateboarder and climber.

Hiring – Arboriculturalist

We have an opportunity for an Arboriculturalist to join our small friendly team in Sheffield. The practice is long standing and provides multi-disciplinary consultancy services including ecology, landscape and arboriculture.

We have a wide variety of projects at nationwide locations and our focus is to provide a joined up service incorporating ecology, landscape and arboriculture, from project inception, through planning and delivery on site.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and ambitious individual, with good technical knowledge. Your role will involve a range of projects and duties will include:

• Undertaking BS:5837 surveys and risk assessments

• Preparing Impact Assessments, Method Statements and other arboricultural reports

• Preparing Survey and Constraints Plans, Tree Protection Plans

Working within our team will provide numerous opportunities to expand your knowledge and capabilities in arboriculture, as well as training opportunities and career progression.

Due to the nature of the work, the position will involve working on sites at distance from Sheffield so flexibility will be required.

Applicants should have the following qualifications/experience:

• Qualification in Arboriculture or related subject at level 4

• Full UK driving licence

• Good report writing capability

We are looking for a confident and enthusiastic individual with good communication skills, the ability to fit into our friendly and hardworking team.

We would also consider applications for a flexible part-time position, so please get in touch.

To apply please e-mail mail@weddles.co.uk sending a CV and covering letter.

Applications by 18th July 2022. Earlier applications encouraged.

No third parties or agencies.

Welcome John Harvey!

We’re delighted to welcome John Harvey to the team. John is an Associate level CIEEM member, who has worked in ecology consultancy since 2014 after graduating from Sheffield Hallam University in Urban and Environmental Planning. He is well experienced in all ecological survey techniques, and currently holds a Level 1 Bat Class Licence and Level 1 GCN Licence.

John is currently studying an MA in Landscape Management at the University of Sheffield and is writing his dissertation on Biodiversity Net Gain compliance in the practitioner workplace.

Hiring – Landscape Architect

We have an opportunity for a Landscape Architect to join our team in Sheffield.

We have a wide variety of projects at a range of scales all over the country and our team provides a joined up, coordinated service incorporating ecology, landscape and arboriculture. We work across a number of project types including residential, education, commercial, energy and healthcare, providing our clients with initial feasibility and concept designs, through planning, to delivery and completion on site.

Your role would typically include;

Assisting with bids and tenders
Work with our multidisciplinary team, subconsultants, and client design teams
Prepare design information, specifications and schedules, including planting designs and construction drawings
Prepare Landscape and Biodiversity Management Plans
Work to achieve Biodiversity Net Gains
Co-ordinate drawings and visualisations with the wider team
Undertake baseline assessment work
Assist with the production of Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments and other reports
Attend design team meetings and inspect site
Support junior staff on their work and progression

We are looking for a confident and enthusiastic Landscape Architect with two+ years of practical experience. You will have exceptional design and communication skills, and the ability to fit into our friendly and hardworking team. A proven ability with Autocad and Adobe Suite is essential. Experience of Landscape and Visual Assessments and understanding of the planning system would be advantageous. An understanding of Ecology and Arboriculture would be useful. 

The role is based in our Sheffield office. We would also consider applications for a flexible part-time position, so please get in touch.

To apply please e-mail mail@weddles.co.uk sending a CV and covering letter.

Applications by 4th March 2022. Earlier applications encouraged as we intend to appoint sooner.

No third parties or agencies.

Hiring – Ecologist/Senior Ecologist/Consultant

We have an opportunity for an Ecologist/Senior Ecologist/Consultant Ecologist to join our small friendly team in Sheffield. The practice is long standing and provides multi-disciplinary consultancy services including ecology, landscape and arboriculture.

The opportunity would be especially exciting for an enthusiastic and ambitious candidate as you would take a leading role on our existing ecology work, as well as the future growth of the ecology sector within the practice.

We have a wide variety of projects at nationwide locations and our focus is to provide a joined up service incorporating ecology, landscape and arboriculture, from project inception, through planning and delivery on site.

We are seeking an individual with strong technical knowledge and practical experience of delivering surveys, assessments and mitigation.

You would assist the ecological aspects of numerous projects within the office and your duties would include:

• Preparation of fee quotes and tenders

• Scoping surveys, Phase 1/UK Habs Assessment, Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, EcIA’s,

• Leading protected species surveys, mitigation plans and management plans

Applicants should have the following experience/qualifications:

• 3 years of previous professional consultancy experience

• Protected species survey Licence(s) e.g. Bat or GCN would be advantageous

• Associate or Full membership of CIEEM would be advantageous.

• Full driving licence

We are looking for a confident and enthusiastic individual with exceptional communication skills, the ability to fit into our friendly and hardworking team, with the ambition to drive the ecology department forwards within the practice.

We would also consider applications for a flexible part-time position or Consultant, so please get in touch.

To apply please e-mail mail@weddles.co.uk sending a CV and covering letter.

Applications by 4th March 2022. Earlier applications encouraged.

No third parties or agencies.

50 Megawatts of Solar Energy!

We are pleased to have helped secure planning permission on behalf of Clearstone Energy for a 49.9MW Solar Farm and Battery Storage facilities at Chosley Farm, near Odiham, Hampshire, over 110 hectares.

The application was decided by Hart District Council’s Planning Committee last week, with our suite of supporting Ecological, Arboricultural and Landscape information forming a significant part of the application documents.

We’ve been working on this project since early 2020 alongside DLP Planning Ltd, and despite a number of objections relating to landscape, visual and ecological impacts the committee decided in favor of the proposals.

A comprehensive Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) was prepared to demonstrate that impacts on the surrounding landscape and visual receptors were minimised with detailed planting and landscape enhancements proposed.

For Ecology we provided initial Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA), Bat, Breeding Bird, Badger, Botanical and Hedgerow surveys alongside a comprehensive Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA), Ecological Management Plan and Biodiversity Enhancement Strategy.

Despite a negative public perception of solar farms the proposals, with the cessation of intensive arable farming (which support very little habitat), delivers more than 40% biodiversity net gain! (BNG)

Spout House Approval !

We’re pleased that we have finally (after three years working on the project!) received approval from Sheffield City Council for the redevelopment of Spout House and its site at Stannington, Sheffield.

As there are a number of ecological, landscape, arboricultural constraints, including protected species, significant level changes and a site wide Tree Preservation Order, we were commissioned to provide a joined up approach. We’ve been working on this project for nearly three years, and

We’ve been working alongside planning consultants Urbana Town Planning and CODA Architecture and we have provided a suite of surveys, reports and design information including mitigation for Badgers, a full tree survey to BS5837:2021 and landscape design with planting information.

King’s Tower Approval

Last week Sheffield City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee voted unanimously to grant permission for King’s Tower.

Kings Tower, which incorporates 206 apartments, over 38 storeys, with commercial at ground floor, will sit alongside Phase 1 of the redevelopment of the former Primark store, overlooking Castle Square.

We’ve been working on this project for 18 months alongside architects Hodder + Partners and planning consultants Crowley Associates Limited.

We have assisted by providing public realm design, including tree planting and sculptural screens to provide wind mitigation. 

Approval for new dwelling in the Peak District National Park

Great news at the end of last week! The Peak District Planning Committee approved our application for a new build dwelling at the site of the former Chestnut Centre animal park near Chapel-en-le-Frith.

Working alongside Peak Architects and Spring Planning we helped to demonstrate that the proposals would have a beneficial landscape and visual impact. 

We prepared a Landscape Masterplan and undertook a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment to understand the effects of the development on the landscape and visual resource. The Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) and a number of viewpoints were assessed. #LVIA

We also prepared a full tree survey #arboriculture and a landscape scheme #landscapearchitecture providing a joined up approach.

Render by Peak Architects