DP World London Gateway has contracted Thomson Environmental Consultants (Thomson) to proceed to ecological monitoring surveys as part of its goal to ultimately develop a modern new port in the Thames estuary.
Specifically, as Thompson stated, it will examine the local aquatic habitat to make sure of its continued survival.
The Environmental Consultants will monitor wildlife, as reptiles, great crested and predatory fish in the ecological receptor sites which it installed when it first began working with DP World on the new development in 2008.
The installation of Thomson’s receptor sites resulted to the construction of 50 additional ponds across 70 hectares of terrestrial habitat. In the meantime, due this actions, several thousands animals were relocated, allegedly being the largest ecological mitigation project in Europe at the time.
Moreover, the ecological receptor sites have been closely monitored annually since they were firstly created.
This aimed to reassure that the grassland, scrub and pond habitats provide optimal conditions and the translocated great crested newt and reptile populations thrive.
Paul Franklin, Project Principal for Thomson Environmental Consultants, commented
Having been involved in this large-scale UK infrastructure project from its infancy, I’m pleased Thomson are able to return this year to undertake follow up surveys and monitoring.
Concluding, Tom Coulter, Environmental Advisor at DP World, highlighted that Thomson collaborated with DP on the design of habitat compensation and protected species receptor sites for the London Gateway development and helped us in getting our mitigation licences from Natural England.