Habitat Survey and Assessment - Soft Market Testing

Title: Habitat Survey and Assessment - Soft Market Testing Reference: SMBC 21197 Sandwell's nature conservation sites are made up of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation Sites (SINCs) and Sites of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINCs) They form an important part of the evidence base and are crucial for the biological and ecological network within Sandwell and beyond. They make up an important part of the Local Plan and can influence development and land use allocations. All sites to be surveyed and assessed are currently of SINC or SLINC status and it will need to be established whether each site maintains its current status and its size (identified by the site boundary) or whether they will need to change. It will need to be determined what the size of the site is, and whether it maintains the recognised boundary, or whether it has increased or decreased in size since the last survey. The status of the site will also need to be established; whether the status remains the same, or whether it is upgraded or downgraded. The 16 sites vary in size and range from 0.33ha to 15.26. There are 12 sites between 0.1ha and 6ha and 4 sites between 10ha and 16ha. The aims and specifications of the survey work are: o to establish baseline data for Local Sites within the Sandwell borough o to identify the presence of significant species and habitats to inform development proposals. o to evaluate the quality of the sites. o to identify appropriate management objectives to ensure the sites remain in optimal condition. o to add to the ecological knowledge of the sub-region and to update the ecological records held by the four authorities. o A brief comparison of each site against existing site data held by the commissioning authority and EcoRecord, o A review of site boundaries and proposals for omissions from or additions to the site. o Any proposed amendments to the current site description in light of the survey work with justification. With the population and development set to grow within Sandwell, there will be a growing pressure on land resources, making it even more important to protect areas of nature conservation, as they provide an extremely important resource within the borough. The Council will be using the In-tend e-Tendering System for this Procurement exercise, please visit https://in-tendhost.co.uk/sandwellmbc to access the Sandwell MBC In-tend Supplier Portal. From here you will be able to register your company, express an interest in the opportunity, and gain immediate access to Quotation or other related documents. To submit a quotation you will be required to 'Opt In'. For a Step by Step user guide to the Sandwell MBC In-tend Supplier Portal please click on the `Guidance for Suppliers` section of the website. All procurement responses must be carried out via the Sandwell MBC In-tend Supplier Portal. If you r...