SUSTAINABILITY

EnvironmEntal Support and ComplianCE updatE
Richard Brooks Principle Environmental Advisor
Since the last edition of Sanctuary (43
2014) the Conservation team has been
part of a major re-organisation within
DIO. This re-organisation saw the creation
of a newly named directorate - that of
DIO Safety, Environment and Engineering
(DIO SEE). At the risk of accusations
of plagiarism – it does exactly what it
says on the tin! i.e. Safety (Health and
Safety), Environment and Engineering.
This grouping contains the specialists
within these areas who offer professional
support, advice and guidance in these
key business areas.
The Conservation Team has been rebadged
as the Environmental Support
and Compliance Team (ES&C) which
again ensures that our title reflects
better what we deliver as a team as
opposed to suggesting we only ‘do’
conservation. The team still contains the
same areas of expertise (as can be seen
to the right) and works very closely with
the Town and Environmental Planning
Team, also within DIO SEE, under the
umbrella of Environment and Planning
Support. This group is headed up by Paul
Wilson who recently returned from a
three year posting in the Falkland Islands
to take up this role.
DIO ES&C specialists provide in-house statutory duties through SSSI,
expertise to DIO and the wider MOD Stewardship and Integrated Rural
by providing advice & guidance in the Management Plan programmes
fields of:
Specialist ecological support/advice
including Habitat Regulations
Access & Recreation
Assessments and Protected Species
• Technical & legal support on access
management. Integrating training
& recreation legislation and
into designated landscapes.
management of the public on the
MOD estate. Provides part of the Conservation Groups and Sanctuary
‘Safe Place to Train’ assurance. • The ES&C also supports MOD
Conservation Groups across the
Forestry & Woodland
estate and is responsible for the
• Providing and maintaining
Sanctuary Awards and the
woodlands and trees for military
production of Sanctuary Magazine.
training and capability whilst
We would encourage all areas of
unlocking the sustainable economic
MOD business including project
returns. Legislation, policy, audit/
partners and individuals to suggest
assurance, industry best practice
articles for the 2016 Sanctuary
and safe working practices across
magazine and to consider putting
the estate to ensure compliance and
forward projects and individuals for
liability management.
the 2016 Awards.
Historic Environment
Sustainable Development Support
• Advice and expertise allowing MOD
and Environmental Planning
to sympathetically manage the
• Advice & support regarding the
archaeological monuments and
implementation & integration of
landscapes on the estate whilst
sustainable development and
enabling training capability.
environmental planning best
• Providing support to meet practice into estate management.
Departmental Government targets,
As the magazine highlights, we actively
including heritage appreciation,
encourage organisational collaboration
training and preservation of historic
and project partnership and we would
MOD archives. Advice and support
be happy to discuss any ideas you have
relating to historic buildings and
to further integrate conservation /
gardens to allow for the best use of
sustainability into our business.
the buildings for MOD capability.
Natural Environment
• Statutory assessments and approvals Please see the opposite page
for development processes, fulfilling for all contact details.
Heather on the open acid grasslands of Stanford Training Area (STANTA) © crown
I would like to take this opportunity
to thank Paul for his engagement
and the ES&C team (and other SEE
environmental staff ) for all of their
continued efforts across the MOD estate.
Their commitment to ensuring that
the MOD estate continues to be such a
valued resource of such environmental
interest whilst enabling challenging
MOD activity to go ahead on such a
designated and sensitive estate deserves
due recognition.
The MOD estate will continue to
facilitate continuous changes in
militar y activity and operations. ES&C
are well positioned to ensure that
environmental best practice, developed
over past years and highlighted in all
40 Sanctuary magazines, continues
to be part of the MOD’s development
processes and we look for ward to
engaging with many exciting and
challenging projects in the future.
100 Sanctuary 44 • 2015