Helping National Highways on the A417 Missing Link with Ecological Services
Pell Frischmann is pleased to have supported Kier Transport with an Ecological Clerk of Works on behalf of National Highways. The A417 Missing Link scheme is a key connection on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) that is crucial to the growth, prosperity, and stability of the nation’s economy.
The A417, in conjunction with the A419, links the M4 at junction 15 to the M5 at junction 11A, passing through the Cotswolds. It is a dual carriageway all-purpose road with grade-separated junctions, apart from a 5.5-kilometre section of single carriageway on the A417, between Cowley roundabout and the Brockworth bypass.
The goal is to widen this section (approx. 5.5 kilometres) of road to ease congestion and improve connectivity between the Brockworth bypass and the existing dual carriageway A417 south of Cowley, particularly during peak hours. However, as it’s situated within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the area presents significant environmental, heritage, and landscape considerations, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), which must be protected.
As a result, we collaborated with Kier Group’s Ecology team to provide ecological expertise for managing construction risks related to protected species, including reptiles on site.
The range of services we delivered included:
- Nesting bird checks;
- Site checks, which included checking retained grassland, veteran trees, and Roman snail fencing;
- Supervising dry stone wall removal for reptiles;
- Assisting with office admin, e.g. updating the monthly toolbox talks;
- Badger monitoring: checking for signs of setts being active, checking trail cam footage, and updating the badger monitoring log.
Aniela James, our Graduate Ecologist, said:
“Working on the A417 Missing Link project provided me with valuable experience in applying ecological best practices on a large-scale infrastructure project. Our work helped ensure compliance with environmental regulations while supporting the protection of local habitats and species.“
This initiative will bring long-term landscape, wildlife, and heritage benefits, leading to improved quality of life and safety for local communities, as well as increased satisfaction from visitors and overall growth for the economy and local businesses.
We are proud to play a role in supporting National Highways’ vision of a landscape-led highway that will provide a safe and resilient route while preserving and enhancing the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
