Corry Ecology prepares NI Biodiversity Checklists, Ecological Statements, Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and protected species surveys for householders, farmers, architects and developers across Northern Ireland.
From a first biodiversity checklist through to mitigation and licensing, every report is written around the tests the case officer actually has to apply.
The biodiversity checklist is the first ecology document most Northern Ireland planning applications need. Corry Ecology completes it in the format…
Read more →When a council needs more than a checklist, an ecological statement sets out what is on the site, what the proposal will affect and how that effect…
Read more →A PEA is the standard first look at a development site: what habitats are present, what protected species could be there, and what further survey…
Read more →Bats and their roosts are legally protected in Northern Ireland. If your proposal affects a building, a roof void or mature trees, the council will…
Read more →Approval is not always the end of the ecology work. Many permissions carry conditions requiring a construction environmental management plan or a…
Read more →An honest read on what you are buying, before you are committed. Ecological constraints and planning history are two of the most common reasons a…
Read more →Ecology work delivered on more than 60 sites across Northern Ireland since 2022, the majority of it in the last two years.
The bulk of it is biodiversity checklists and supporting ecological statements for single rural dwellings, replacement dwellings and infill sites — the everyday business of the Northern Ireland planning system. Alongside that sits a steady flow of barn and outbuilding conversions, agricultural buildings including poultry units, farm yards, laneways and accesses, small housing schemes, and the occasional commercial or tourism proposal.
Bats are far and away the most common, usually starting as a roost potential assessment on an older building. After that it is nesting birds, badger and otter, watercourses and riparian habitat, hedgerow and treeline loss, and proximity to designated sites. Knowing which of these is likely on a given site — before the application goes in — is most of the value.
Individual sites and clients are not listed here for confidentiality. References can be provided on request.
John Corry holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science (2002) with an ecology focus, and Corry Ecology is the practice built on that foundation. Alongside a long spell working in the Northern Ireland planning system, John kept a consistent hand in ecology-based planning policy work — and since 2024 has stepped up conservation work, volunteering and structured further learning to bring that grounding fully up to date.
Current member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), following a career as a Chartered Planner and full member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management
Corry Ecology holds Professional Indemnity insurance, so every report is covered.
Send the site address and a short description of the proposal — a map or planning reference helps but isn't essential.
A site walkover and any protected species survey needed for the type of works and time of year.
A finished checklist or statement ready to submit, with follow-up support if the council raises questions.
When NI planning applications need a bat survey, and what happens if they do.
Read the guide →What the checklist is, when you need one, and what happens if it flags something.
Read the guide →Which surveys run all year, which are limited to summer, and how to plan around it.
Read the guide →Bats, badgers, otters, nesting birds and the rest are protected because they have declined — and because the countryside works better with them in it. Short, readable notes on each.
Based in Gortin, Co. Tyrone, and covering all Northern Ireland council areas.
Call, email or send a few details and you'll get a quote and a likely timescale back.
Email is usually quickest. Include the site address, the planning reference if there is one, and a short description of the proposal.
Or call 07721 922202 and talk it through.
