Cornish Biodiversity Network  -  Supporting Wildlife Recording

Enquiry Services

The Cornish Biodiversity Network (CBN) has the most up to date set of terrestrial species data available for Cornwall. Using these data it provides an information service to a wide range of users such as Cornwall Council, statutory agencies, ecological consultants, landowners, educational establishments, national and local recording schemes and others with an interest in the wildlife of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Products and services include data searches, production of species distribution maps, plant community mapping and data analysis or interpretation. Ecological data held by the CBN is available to all who require it for legitimate environmental purposes.

The fundamental function of the CBN is to support Biological Recording in Cornwall. This is made possible by supplying biodiversity information products and services to a range of users. There is a cost to running such a service and, for the CBN to fulfil its supportive role, these costs must be met by our commercial users.

We set charges to directly assist the Recording Community with most of the funds devoted to supporting recorders. The CBN also has to recover the costs of time spent accessing, collating, processing and managing data, as well as supplying data to end users, and the modest overheads associated with running the CBN.

Data Searches

The Cornish Biodiversity Network provides a data search service to all users, including environmental consultants, voluntary organisations and members of the public. The service is based on the delivery of a standardised set of products but, where possible and resources allow, bespoke outputs can also be made available. We can provide species, site and habitat information within a rapid timeframe and in suitable formats for users.

Data searches will normally be supplied within 5 working days of receipt of a fully completed Data Search Request Form or confirmation of our quote (where this applies).

Standard Data Search

Our standard data search report consists of:

A Pdf report showing the location of rare and threatened species (including BAP, Cornish Red Data Book, Rare Plant Register and legally protected species) and designated sites within a radius of the site of interest, plus a spreadsheet containing the relevant records of "Protected, Locally Scarce and Rare Species".

A standard search is made within a 1 or 2km radius of either a point (a minimum of a six figure grid reference) or a clearly defined small site boundary (if provided in GIS file format by the enquirer).

Charges

Commercial Users

The CBN reserves the right to charge users a fee; a sizeable proportion of which is used to support the local Biological Recording Community. The remainder covers a proportion of the time spent collating and managing data as well as the costs attributable to the time required to administer and undertake an enquiry. These charges represent an essential income stream for the CBN and the network of recorders it supports.

For all requests please fill in a Data Search Request Form with the details of your enquiry based on your individual requirements. The fee will be waived in the unlikely instance that no records are held for your search area.

Output will include maps of statutory sites, non-statutory sites and priority habitats, and lists of protected/notable species records.

Standard Data Search Charges

SEARCH TYPE DESCRIPTION CHARGE
STANDARD Full species and site search in 1km radius from a grid reference point £120
LARGE Full species and site search in 2km radius from a grid reference point £200
NON STANDARD Individually calculated depending on requirements

To make a request

Download and complete our Data Search Request Form.

You can download the Data Search Request Form here:

Email a copy of the form to us with a map if appropriate.

Quick Links
Data Search Request Form - Word format
Data Search Request Form - PDF format

Juncus capitatus Dwarf Rush

Photo: Ian Bennallick

Plebejus argus Silver-studded Blue

Photo: Sally Foster



The Cornish Biodiversity Network is pleased to acknowledge support from: