Data request

The information we need

1. Where would you like us to search? - You need to provide a grid reference, site boundary, linear route or address and postcode.
2. What size area would you like us to search within? - Normal searches are 500m to 2km in radius, but this can be customised to suit your needs. We can also provide different sized areas within one search request, for example, we could search within a 500m radius for species records and a 2km radius for site records.
3. What information do you require? - Our standard search includes a map showing designated sites and record locations; County Wildlife Site and GeoSite citations; spreadsheet records of Protected, Locally Scarce and Rare species, Schedule 9 species and Veteran, Notable, and Ancient Trees.
   Data request searches can be tailored to your needs with additional datasets (e.g. habitat data or providing data in GIS format). Please contact us to discuss customised data requests.

Once we have your data request (by email or using the form above) we will send you a quote for your search.

Our standard fee is £140 + VAT. Customised searches will cost more, see the prices section below.

When you have the quote please confirm your data request by return email, which includes your invoice details, and we will process your search.

Data requests are dealt with in the order they are received and we normally provide the results within 5-10 working days.
For commercial data requests, we aim to deliver 2 working days after receiving your confirmation of order.

What to expect in a standard report

Designated Sites

Above: We provide a map showing designated site boundaries (as a pdf).

Below: We include citations or information sheets for non-statutory local sites (County Wildlife Sites and County GeoSites) that fall within the search area as a Word document.

More general information about protected sites in Suffolk can be found on our Protected sites page.

Protected, Locally Scarce and Rare Species

We provide a spreadsheet containing records of Protected, Locally Scarce and Rare species.

The database currently holds over 210,000 records and covers over 20 years. The results supplied will only include records of tetrad (2 km grid) or greater accuracy and will be filtered to remove duplicates, so a particular point only shows the most recent record of a species.

The data includes information on BAP, Suffolk Rare plants and legally protected species - including Badgers, Bats and Great Crested Newts. We hold information on all the major taxonomic groups and can supply all your Suffolk biological data needs.

These records are represented by black stars on the pdf map provided.

Schedule 9 Species

We provide a spreadsheet containing records of Schedule 9 species.

These are species covered by the revised Schedule 9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act which came into force in April 2010.

• It covers species of plants and animals that do not naturally occur in Great Britain, that have become established in the wild, and that represent a threat to the natural fauna and flora.
• Section 14 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act prohibits the release of any animal species that are “not ordinarily resident in and is not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state” and specifically those listed in Schedule 9 Part 1.
• Section 14 also prohibits the establishment of non-native plant species which are listed in Part 2.

The birds listed on Schedule 9 include some native species such as Barn Owl and Goshawk. The listing is intended to prevent the release of captive birds with reduced fitness and viability, which could reduce the strength of the wild population.

This data is intended to help minimize the risk of non-native species damaging local biodiversity.

For more information please visit the Non Native Species Secretariat website.

These records are represented by red circles on the pdf map provided.

Please enlarge the spreadsheet above to see the range of information you will receive for each record.

Ancient, Veteran and Notable Trees

We provide a spreadsheet of any Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees that fall within your search area.

This is a combination of two datasets, the SBIS Veteran and Notable Trees and the Woodland Trust's Ancient Tree Hunt survey. Neither of these has complete coverage in Suffolk so the records should be regarded as partial.

These records are represented by pink tree symbols on the pdf map provided.

Services

• Comprehensive and up-to-date species data
• Species, Habitat and Site/Location maps
• Species lists for specified locations    
• Site descriptions and keywords
• Efficient data management including verification and validation of the data held
• Integration of species, habitat and site information
• Support for volunteer recorders and naturalists
• Species status within Suffolk

Prices from 1 Januaury 2024

For most non-commercial users our services are provided free of charge.
Charges to ecological consultants and other commercial bodies are for the time taken to collate, process and analyse data rather than for the information itself.

Commercial Data Enquiries:

• Standard charge (covers one hour and is sufficient for the majority of data requests): £140 + VAT.
• Additional hourly rate: £100 + VAT.
• Small search charge (for example a data request for a single species group): £70 + VAT.
• Bulk data requests (multiple sites with the same search parameters ordered at the same time):
  Two sites £259 + VAT, three sites £378 + VAT, four sites £497 + VAT, five sites (maximum batch size) £616 + VAT
• For larger-scale data requests please contact us for a quotation.

Charges may be waived if no data is available within the search area.

Once we have your data request (by email or using the form above) we will send you a quote for your search.

When you have the quote, please confirm your data request by return email including your invoice details, and we will process your search.

If the search needs more time than quoted clients will be informed before further charges are incurred.

Payments will be requested by invoice from Suffolk County Council.

Data requests are dealt with in the order they are received and we normally provide the results within 5-10 working days. 
For commercial data requests, we aim to deliver 2 working days after receiving your confirmation of the order.

Standard data enquiry service agreement

Since 31st March 2011, records centres in the region have provided a standardised data enquiry service.

Standard enquiries for data within a defined search area from regional record centres across the East of England will:

• Include records of species of conservation concern (including species protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981; Protection of Badgers Act; Habitat Regulations 2010; Bird and Habitats Directives; Bonn and Bern Conventions; NERC Section 41; UKBAP (local and national); Veteran Trees (where available); IUCN red data book species; nationally notable and locally rare species; red and amber list bird species; non-native invasive species);
• Include a map of statutory and non-statutory site boundaries (such as Ramsar; SAC; SPA; SSSI; NNR; LNR; County Wildlife Sites*; Roadside Nature Reserves*; RIGS* and Ancient Woodland). Citations to be provided on request;
• Not incur a charge if no records are found;
• Be completed within 10 working days (usually sooner);
• Include the most recent data held by the LRC. A metadata statement will be available on each LRC’s website, detailing the temporal and geographical coverage of data holdings, data quality and data security;
• Be sent out in user-specified format (Excel/Word tables, GIS files, pdf or jpg) subject to licensing restrictions;
• Provide records from the adjacent county if the search area spans a county border, without incurring further charges.**

* Names may vary between counties. **Applies to the East of England region only.

Regional record centres

Norfolk Biodiversity Information Centre

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Environmental Records Centre

Note: We are still waiting for information on the new record centre in Essex, once we have that we will update this list.