Services to Data Users

 

Commercial Users

SEWBReC offers a range of data products and services to its commercial users. Standard data searches can be specified by choosing from the following items, including a specification of buffer size for each category:

 

Species

  • Protected and Priority Species: EU and UK legally protected species, Section 42 (Natural Environment Rural Communities Act, 2006) species, UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species, CITES species.
  • Other Species of Conservation Concern: UK BAP Species of Conservation Concern, Red Data Book and Nationally Rare and Scarce species, EC Birds Directive, Bonn Convention Species.
  • Locally Important Species: Local BAP species, locally rare and scarce species (as identified by local experts). Please note that SEWBReC will now search for locally important species from the relevant local authority area(s) only, rather than all local authorities in Wales, unless specifically requested.
  • All Species: All records held, including common and widespread species.
  • Selected Species: Records of selected species according to user needs (eg. all bat species).
  • Schedule 9 (Wildlife & Countryside Act) & Other Alien/ Invasive Species: e.g. Japanese knotweed, Indian balsam, American signal crayfish, and American mink etc. Read the complete list of searchable alien/invasive species.

 

Mobile species

Certain mobile, high priority species (e.g. otter, great crested newt, bats etc) have been given a buffer to reflect their potential territory. The records may lie outside the specified search area but they should be taken into account in an ecological assessment due to the possibility of their using land within the search area as part of the territory, or for part of their life cycle. SEWBReC will report on mobile species where the buffer of the species intersects the search area.

 

Designated Sites

  • Statutory Designations: e.g. Ramsar Sites, Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserves, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Local Nature Reserves.
  • Local Designations: e.g. Wildlife Trust Reserves, Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (Local Authorities currently covered), Wildlife Sites, Regionally Important Geodiversity Sites (RIGS).

 

Habitats

  • Habitats: Countryside Council for Wales 'Phase I' habitat survey data.

 

These standard data search options are included in the Data Enquiry and Release Form.

Please click here for additional notes on data supplied.

 

Non-Commercial Products and Services

Enquiries from members of the public or those using the data for educational purposes are usually dealt with free of charge, providing they are for non-commercial purposes, and are in the interests of nature conservation. Please note that SEWBReC regards all forms of property development (including purchasing a property) as a commercial activity, and there will be a charge for any information provided (you can download the charging policy here).

  • Student and Educational Enquiries: SEWBReC can provide standard data searches for a small area, or distribution maps of a certain species. Providing the enquiry does not take an unreasonable amount of time and resources to deal with, there will be no charge. Download the student guide to requesting data here.
  • Landowner Enquiries: If you own a small wood, meadow or other parcel of land and wish to see if we hold any data for it and the surrounding area, then you may submit a standard enquiry to SEWBReC. Providing the enquiry is for non-commercial purposes, such as wildlife conservation, and does not take an unreasonable amount of time and resources to deal with, there will be no charge. Please note that SEWBReC regards all forms of property development (including house purchase) as a commercial activity, and there will be a charge for any information provided (you can download the charging policy here).
  • Wildlife Recorder Enquiries: If you plan to record wildlife in a certain area, it can be extremely helpful to know what has been recorded there and in the surrounding area before. We can also provide you with appropriate Ordnance Survey base maps which may be invaluable in the field. If you submit your records to SEWBReC we can provide this information for free (providing the information is requested for non-commercial purposes and does not take an unreasonable amount of time and resources to deal with).

If you have a non-commercial enquiry, you may wish to make use of the Data Access Tool (DAT), a free to use website which can display non-sensitive species data for any area of Wales.

If the DAT is not suitable for your requirements, and you would still like to submit any enquiry, please visit our Data Enquiries page.

 

Data Products and Services to Funding Partners

SEWBReC offers a range of tailored and standardised data products and services to its current and potential funding partners. These can include:

  • Species 'alert layers' to be supplied for use on a compatible Geographic Information System (GIS).
  • Planning List Checking Services to enable the evaluation of all planning applications against SEWBReC data using agreed criteria.
  • Local Development Plan searches to help fulfil Strategic Environmental Assessment requirements.
  • Ad hoc data searches using standard criteria.
  • Assistance with staff training seminars relating to usage of SEWBReC services.
  • Data computerisation and mobilisation work (including digitising and maintaining locally designated site boundaries, digitising habitat data or entering species data).

Existing and potential funding partners should contact SEWBReC to discuss any current or potential data needs.

 

Standard Conditions of Data Release

All data releases by SEWBReC are subject to a comprehensive set of conditions.

 

 

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