Environmental specialist Katie Partington has joined multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard as the company looks to develop its regenerative construction services.
Katie, who joins as Associate Director of Ecology and Aboriculture, has more than 20 years of experience in overseeing sustainable development in the private and public sector, applying her expertise to biodiversity-led design.
In her role she will develop services in response to changing regulations while embedding a more integrated approach to the management of nature related impacts in building and infrastructure projects, maximising opportunities for partners to actively restore, renew and replenish ecosystems and enhance the environment to create a net-positive impact.
Katie said: “By advising on development work and how to comply with current legislation through the management of ecology and arboriculture impacts, such as the protection of species, and habitats or important trees, we can avoid and mitigate the impact of the built environment on nature and leave a lasting benefit.
“We want to go further than that and unlock the potential for our clients to deliver on their aspirations as well. We can apply a more holistic way of thinking to projects, by working together with our sustainability and landscape technical specialists, we can plan and design spaces that, for example, will attract species not just protect them, bring resilience and longevity to the environments we live and work in and contribute to the overall wellbeing of users of these spaces.”
Katie joins Pick Everard as the Planning and Infrastructure Act comes into force in England, introducing new environmental assessment procedures. While the mandatory 10 per cent Biodiversity Net Gains (BNG) target remains in place for most developments, including Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from May this year, some exemptions are being considered.
Part 3 of the Act focuses on development and nature recovery, introducing Environmental Development Plans (EDPs) and the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). EDPs will identify and deliver strategic conservation measures that address specific environmental impacts of development. By adopting these and paying into the NRF, developers will be able to start work more quickly while financing habitat restoration and pollution reduction measures.
“There is a balance between the built environment and the natural world that can be achieved,” said Katie. “That’s where the skills and insights we offer in collaboration with our partners adds significant value to the lifespan of a development.
“Compliance is very important but we need to be sure that what we deliver protects the environment and our own wellbeing through access to nature in the future too.”
Emelye Kenyon, Head of Environmental Services at Pick Everard, commented: “Katie’s appointment is an important step for our environmental services. She brings a huge amount of experience across ecology, arboriculture and major infrastructure projects, and she understands how to work effectively within multi-disciplinary teams.
“At a time when biodiversity, climate resilience and environmental compliance are becoming central to our clients’ needs, Katie’s practical and collaborative approach will be a real asset to both our projects and our people.”