Meet the team

Natasha Collings-Costello joined CEC as Managing Director in 2020. Natasha holds a first class MEnv Sci focused on Ecology and Environmental Science from the University of Southampton and has achieved Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Scientist status.

Natasha is a full member of CIEEM, the author of Cornwall Council's Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document, and a contributing author to Cornwall Council's Climate Change Development Plan Document, Cornwall Council’s European Protected Sites Supplementary Planning Document, and British Standard BS42021.

Key skills include:

• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Ecological Impact Assessment
• Protected Species surveys and assessment
• Environmental Management
• Ecological Clerk of Works
• Construction Environment Management Plans (CEMP)
• Water Resource Management
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) advice and calculations
• Habitat Regulations Assessment and Appropriate Assessment
• Environmental Policy writing and review in the fields of ecology, environmental impact, European designated sites and climate change
• CSCS card held

Emma joined CEC in 2018. Coming from another design consultancy she has vast administration skills that are vital to the smooth running of CEC’s day to day activities.

Emma looks after a range of business related aspects of the company including managing CEC’s current Health and Safety, Quality and Environmental ISO Standards ensuring these accreditations are met on an annual basis.



Kirsten provides vital admin support to the whole CEC team and is the main contact for Bat and Barn Owl Assessments. She is very experienced in administration and office duties, and assists with the financial management of larger projects.

Jenny has worked for CEC for 16 years and is the Principal Ecologist. She is a Building with Nature Assessor. She undertakes all types of ecology work and projects including roads and transportation, housing and mixed use developments, industrial/ business developments; and schools

Key skills include:

• Phase 1 Habitat Survey; dormouse, badger, otter, reptile surveys/ advice
• Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA)
• Environmental Impact assessment (EIA)
• Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA)
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) advice and calculations
• Licensing for protected species
• BREEAM
• Building with Nature Assessor
• General work includes reporting, consultation / liaison with design teams, statutory consultees and planning depts, project management of complex projects
• Ecological Clerk of Works
• Registered on dormouse licence for survey, several recent mitigation licences
• Registered on badger class licence to allow sett closures, etc
• CSCS card held

Steve has worked for CEC for 22 years and specialises in habitat surveys, land management advice and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA), as well as holding licences for badgers, bats and dormice.

Key skills include:

• Extended Phase 1 habitat surveys
• National Vegetation Classification (NVC)
• Badger, otter, bats and reptile surveys
• Biodiversity Net Gain assessments, calculation and reporting
• Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA)
• Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA)
• Environmental Statement (ES) ecology chapters
• Shadow Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRAs)
• Management recommendations and plans
• Steve holds Natural England Badger, Bat (Level2) & Dormouse licences
• General work: reporting, consultation / liaison with design teams, statutory consultees and planning depts; project management of complex projects
• Holds CSCS card

Ben has worked for CEC for 5 years as an Ecologist and undertakes a wide range of ecology work. He is a multi-skilled ecologist having over 6 years’ experience working in this field. He undertakes a wide variety of ecology consultancy work.

Key skills include

• Ecological work including phase 1 habitat survey, reptile, otter, dormouse, breeding bird, bat activity and badger surveys.
• Great Crested newt licence
• Ecological Clerk of Works
• General work: reporting, consultation / liaison with design teams, statutory consultees and planning depts; project management
• Protected species surveys
• Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA)
• Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA)
• Landscape and Ecology Management Plans (LEMP)
• Biodiversity Net Gain
• CSCS card

Cathy has worked for CEC since June 2017. She is a multi-skilled ecologist having over 6 years’ experience working in this field. She undertakes a wide variety of ecology consultancy work.

Key skills include

• Extended phase one habitat surveys
• Protected species surveys
• Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA)
• Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA)
• Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA)
• Ecological Mitigation & Enhancement Schemes (EMES)
• Landscape and Ecology Management Plans (LEMP)
• Protected species mitigation works
• Extensive mapping (using GIS & AutoCAD)
• Biodiversity Net Gain
• Farm Advice Work and planting plans for the Landscape Team
• Natural England protected species licences for dormouse, barn owl, bats (level 1) and great crested newt (level 1), as well as a CSCS card
• Ecological Clerk of Works
• General work: reporting, consultation / liaison with design teams, statutory consultees and planning depts; project management

Steve has worked for CEC for 18 years. Steve’s work includes everything from simple bat and owl assessments to project management, surveying and reporting on large scale developments and road schemes.

Key skills include:

• Bat survey licence level 2, 2015-11878-CLS-CLS (surveying licence)
• 2015-11877-CLS-CLS level 2 covers (voluntary work and training)
• Bat Mitigation Class licence (BMCL)
• CSCS card

Dave has worked for CEC for 16 years

Dave is experienced in bat and barn owl surveys, reporting, mitigation licensing, project management and client liaison on small and large scale developments, including house extensions, barn conversions, schools, residential/ business developments and road improvement schemes.

Key skills include:

• Barn owl survey licence, Bat survey licence Level 2
• Bat Mitigation Class Licence, Bats in Churches Class Licence
• CSCS card

Phil has worked for CEC for 18 years.  He has worked in design, biodiversity and development since the 1980s. He is also spokesperson for Cornwall Chamber of Commerce on environmental matters and is Treasurer of the Landscape Institute South West branch.
 
Phil is the Principal Landscape Architect, leading CEC's team of four landscape professionals undertaking landscape design, landscape and visual impact assessment, environmental impact assessment and management of arboricultural surveys.  He also leads on related environmental services.

Key skills include

• Client liaison
• conceptual and detailed design
• detailed site design including wetland and planting proposals
• open space planning
• Construction Environment Management Plans (CEMP)
• Landscape Environment Management Plans (LEMP)
• Invasive Species Management Plans
• Environmental Impact Assessment

Louise is a Chartered Landscape Architect with over 24 years' experience in both the public and private sectors covering the management and delivery of a wide range of environmental projects.

Throughout her career she has worked on a wide range of landscape and urban design schemes including public parks and open spaces, green infrastructure, green town development, urban regeneration projects, airports, business parks, civic squares, hotels and tourist accommodation, highways schemes and streetscapes, commercial premises, residential and mixed-use development, school grounds, play areas, hospitals and sheltered accommodation, country parks, coastal village improvements/protection schemes, energy sectors schemes, landfill restoration, mineral reclamation schemes and habitat restoration and creation projects.

Key skills include

• Landscape and visual assessments (LVIA)
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Landscape and townscape characterisation
• sensitivity and capacity work
• green belt review.
• Advice on the design and implementation of built development, green infrastructure, landscape and public open space components of planning applications
• delivering schemes from the initial master planning stage through to detailed design, implementation and management.

Graham has worked for CEC for 8 years and has achieved Chartered status with the Landscape Institute (CMLI)

Graham has worked on a range of projects including landscape design, Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment, and habitat and biodiversity enhancement. As well as having great project management skills his particular interest lies in designing landscapes for people and wildlife, hard landscape design and planting design. He has completed numerous projects with CEC including Bournemouth Pier Approach Public Realm works, the proposed Stadium for Cornwall landscape design and design of residences for Falmouth University.

Key skills include:

• Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment
• Habitat and biodiversity enhancement
• hard landscape design and planting design
• Excellent capabilities in the use of digital technology and 3D design

Amanda joined CEC in 2011 as an Assistant Landscape Architect, since then she has become the GIS Technician supporting the ecology team in addition to her landscape role. She has been able to adapt her vast experience in graphic design to produce creative ideas and high-quality visualisations for presentation.

Key skills include:

• sustainable and ecological design for site planning
• planting design
• Mapping and Data Analysis using ArcGIS (10.7)
• Adobe Creative Suite
• AutoCAD Software