Ecological excellence: Our 30-year journey
As we mark the 30th anniversary of JBA Consulting, we’re proud to reflect on an extraordinary journey that has transformed our award-winning ecology practice from humble beginnings to industry leadership across the UK and Ireland.
From marshes to milestones: Early breakthroughs
Every journey begins somewhere. For us, it started in 2004 when JBA acquired Grantham, Brundell and Farran (GBF), a well-established Doncaster firm supplying engineering and clerking services to a number of Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Back then, our ecology service was in its infancy, handled by just two passionate specialists. Following the acquisition of GBF, however, the need for ecological services increased for both the IDBs and the broader business. As a result, our team expanded rapidly, specialising in habitat design and restoration. Notable work included the preparation of individual IDB Local Biodiversity Action Plans (IDB BAPS) and several Water Level Management Plans (WLMPs) for protected sites, typically Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
One significant endeavour was our work on the Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marshes Project. Commissioned in 2009, this project aimed to reverse a decline in wet grassland coverage on the marshes and secured significant funding from public bodies, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, to ‘conserve and restore the Lincolnshire coastal grazing marshes landscape with its wildlife-rich mosaic of grasslands, including Grazing Marsh, a BAP Priority Habitat’. We conducted a three-year study to quantify and compare the level of success at three large wet grassland creation sites and to understand and explain the causes of any identified differences. Find out more about the project here in an excerpt from CIEEM's 2013 In Practice magazine.
Breaking new ground: An award-winning WLMP
By 2009, our growing team was undertaking projects that would influence the future of conservation. Our habitat design, biodiversity action plans, and ecological surveys established a strong foundation for meaningful environmental impact. The standout? The Water Level Management Plan for the Thorne, Crowle, and Goole Moors – on England’s largest terrestrial Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Here, with the aid of JBA’s hydro-ecology expertise, we developed a ground-breaking WLMP utilising telemetry-controlled weirs and a pumping station, combined with machine-learning, to create our innovative ‘Electric Bog’. Completed in 2017, this project won CIEEM’s Best Practice Large Conservation Project Award 2020 and the prestigious Tony Bradshaw Award for Outstanding Best Practice that same year.
Expanding horizons: New offices and framework opportunities
With our success came growth. Our roots spread beyond Doncaster, expanding our offices nationwide and in Ireland.
During this period, our ecology offering continued to grow, gaining a strong reputation in botanical surveying, river restoration, and riparian ecology. Resulting in our teams working on and editing the Environment Agency’s Aquatic and Riparian Plant Management Guide in 2014.
2020 saw us appointed to the Environment Agency’s Ecological Services Framework 3 (EcoSF3) for the second successive time, with a third appointment in 2024 (EcoSF4), totalling 12 years of collaboration and delivering ecological expertise for the EA.
Expertise that goes beyond the ordinary
Today, nearly 50 ecologists across 13 offices in the UK and Ireland cover every corner of the ecological spectrum. Our specialist expertise includes: coastal and marine ecology, invertebrate ecology, botany and bryology, eco-hydrology, ornithology and the more familiar ecology disciplines of protected species surveying and mitigation – from dormice to white-clawed crayfish.
In addition, we have a strong cross-disciplinary offering in wetland design and peatland restoration, blending science, innovation, and passion to create ecosystems that last.
Our wide-ranging expertise was honoured as CIEEM’s Consultancy of the Year (Medium-Sized) in 2021 and again in 2024 - a nod to our relentless drive for excellence and leadership in ecological consultancy.
Find out more about our range of services here.
The next chapter: Leading the way in sustainability
Thirty years in, we’re just getting started. With our cross-disciplinary expertise, numerous industry award wins and accolades and a bold vision, we aim to remain at the forefront of the profession, setting the standard for others to follow. Join us on our journey as we continue to innovate, protect, and shape a more sustainable world - one habitat at a time.
For more information on our ecology services, click here or contact us.
