LIAISON WITH CONSULTEES
Situations where a quarrying client finds themselves at loggerheads over an ecological or environmental issue with a Statutory or non-Statutory Consultee are rare, but not unheard of. If for whatever reason a client finds themselves in a situation where they feel they aren’t being heard, or the other party is perceived as being unreasonable, or even just not making themselves understood in plain language, AEcol are prepared to liaise on their behalf.
We have an excellent rapport with our counterparts in local government, the Environment Agency, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and the Wildlife Trusts in many parts of the country. We also have cool-heads and are able to bring calm to tense situations (even stand-offs) and unravel where the perceived issue arose, exactly what its magnitude is, and what might be required to resolve it. We recognise that some legislation and policy is not ‘user-friendly’ to those who don’t use it every day. We also recognise that different people have different levels of interest in ecology. Over the years we have been working with quarry staff, we have produced plain-English explanations of what the legislation and policy actually mean, and can therefore explain where conflict may arise without boring the ears off everyone. By doing this, we can work out where relations have broken down and we can act as mediators to get both sides to work productively in seeking an outcome that is satisfactory to both parties.