• Examples of our work
• Bats at Basing House
• BREEAM for schools
• Greenhithe Marina
• Land Securities
• Lend Lease
• London Gateway
• Scottish and Southern Energy
• The Environment Agency

London Gateway

"Thomson Ecology’s first class project management skills and knowledge of all the legislation have assisted us with keeping the programme on target. Thank you."  Simon Moore, CEO, London Gateway, DP World

We are working on one of the biggest ecology projects in the UK - the London Gateway Port and Commercial Park development.

Once completed, London Gateway will be the most fully automated and efficient port in the world and will become the national hub for transport and logistics in the UK.

For over two years we have been working with DP World and Laing O’Rourke on the 350 hectare site that was formerly the Shell Haven Depot.

The brownfield site had been left undisturbed for several years. As a result a number of protected species had made their home there....1000s of great crested newts, reptiles, water voles, badgers and birds

DP World undertook to protect these species by creating suitable habitats on adjacent land and moving the animals away from the development site to the purpose built habitats. To achieve this task they appointed Thomson Ecology.

Working hand-in-hand with our sister company, Thomson Habitats, we have designed and created new habitats and are capturing and relocating the animals to their new homes. Habitats created included 30 ponds for great crested newts, ditches for water voles and hibernacula and log piles for reptiles. Badgers were also excluded from the site to prevent them from harm.

A rare plant nursery was created from plants and seeds found on the site, some of which have now been planted around the newly created ponds.

Water voles captured on the site were quarantined and temporarily housed at the Wildwood Trust in Kent for later release onto the River Colne, once mink, predators of voles, had been trapped and removed from the river.

Breeding and wintering bird surveys are underway to determine if the development has an impact on these birds. New intertidal mudflats have been created for wading birds this year and we will also monitor these.

Strong project management skills and good liaison with DP World, Natural England and other involved parties have ensured that the development on this huge site can progress whilst preserving, and hopefully, in time, enhancing, the wildlife and its habitats.