Colin Slater Email & Phone Number

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

Assuring and delivering the environmental design along a 90 km of the HS2 route presents many and varied challenges, requiring personal traits of respect, determination and resilience to identify and implement consistent and also innovative solutions.The landscape character transitions through Rural to Semi-Rural to Urban, Industrial and Birmingham City along the route. As a linear route of 90 km in the UK it passes through a diversity of community identities, geology, topography and land-use - meaning that just about every social and environmental constraint is encountered along the route. The list of challenges is long, but key themes include stakeholder interfaces, water bodies and flood risk, land quality (due to historic land-use) and landscape and ecology. In addition, the project presents many challenges related to construction methodologies and materials, such as noise and reducing waste and carbon.Every type of environmental mitigation is deployed along the HS2 route. The most important, but often most difficult to report and measure is avoidance. Avoidance, is the most important part of my role. And to do so I work within a multi-disciplinary team being able to access expertise within environment, engineering and engagement. When avoidance is not possible then I am fortunate to work within a team of environmental specialists to find mitigation solutions, such as replacement flood risk, major river diversions, land remediation and landscape and ecology, including integrated landscapes of water and terrestrial habitats, protected species and access.Sections/areas of the landscape design incorporating access, river realignment and ecology have been recognised in several publications and won awards.

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) is a long established joint venture, with a relationship between these global organisation spanning more than three decades.Following successfully working on key major infrastructure projects, such as Channel-Link Rail, Smart Motorway Schemes (M4 & M5), Crossrail and HS2. BBV are now working on 90kmsroute of High Speed 2 project between Leamington Spa in Warwickshire and Handsacre on Lichfield/Staffordshire border.I have been appointed as the Lead Environmental Design Manager for this project VINCI and responsible for leading the Environmental Design Coordinators to provide environmental design integration instructions to the Design Engineers to ensure all key environmental design (technical) decisions / assurances are implemented consistently across all Structures Sub-Lots.Ensuring that the route wide design is compliant with all Environmental Minimum Requirements and the Undertaking and Assurances from UK Government.I work within an integrated project team with HS2 Ltd (client), and Systra and Mott McDonald the Design Joint Venture (DJV).

Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

Senior EIA CoordinatorProject experience on Rail, Road, Major Infrastructure, Underground Water Pipeline, Overhead Power Lines, Nuclear (Horizon & Sizewell), Flood Risk and DCORail:HS2 Phase 2b (Eastern Leg) and the Electrification of a section of Midland MainlineInfrastructure:Environment Agency catchment scale flood riskIronbridge Power Station, infrastructure & route optioneering for National GridBardon Quarry Aggregate Industries extension of existing quarryMinistry of Defence RAF Croughton, flood alleviationLondon Underground Deep Tube Upgrade ProjectWexham Super PrisonPipeline: Weston Jones to Hob Hill 5.5km Water Pipeline (optioneering), Birmingham Resilience Project 30km Water Pipeline, and Quality Batch (multiple) Sites for Severn Trent Water. Road (DMRB): A120 to A133 Link Road, Middlewich Eastern Bypass and Dualling of the A500; M6 Smart Motorway, A49 dualling, A51 Nantwich Road Deterioration and A582 Dualling for Cheshire East Council. DCO for the A12 widening scheme, leading on the cumulative effect’s assessment PEI Report and subsequent ES chapter. Initial screening & scoping of potential environmental constraints, environmental sift appraisals to achieve best environmental and engineering design outcomes. Working within the civil design team coordinating engineering and environmental disciplines. Responsible for co-ordination of environmental statement chapters including air quality, ecology, historic, water and flood risk, land quality and socio-economics etc. Design & Construction.Authoring Non-Technical front end chapters, including area overview, description and construction sections. Technical report review, ensuring ensuring robust assessment and consistency across all chapters. Regular attendance of a diverse range of design, risk and client meetings. Working closely with stakeholder and engagement teams, including attendance at meetings with a range of statutory and non-statutory stakeholders.

Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

Leading on the planning, implementation and reporting for animal and habitat surveys for a variety of requirements and large infrastructure projects. Specialising in protected species such as Bats & Great Crested Newts. Working closely with clients and stakeholders to avoid or minimise the adverse impacts of proposed development on ecosystems and biodiversity, and where possible to design & implement ecological enhancement.I am registered to carryout survey work under Class Licences from Natural England and Natural Resources Wales:Bat WML-A34 - Level 2 (Class Licence)Great Crested Newt WML-CL08 - Level 1 (Class Licence)I also hold NRW equivelent licences for surveying Bats and Great Crested Newt

Evenings and weekends during term times.Teaching degree students an eight week module on Geographic Information Systems using ESRI ArcGIS. Responsibilities include helping degree students fulfil their potential through formal teaching, practical work, assignments and feedback. I also taught the practical countryside crafts module for conservation and agri-students, specifically dry stone walling and hedgelaying. I hold an enhanced CRB certificate.

Leading a team of 4 staff. Annual budget responsibility of £50k rising by a further £40k following a successful grant application from the Welsh Government I researched and submitted. Establishing and maintaining effective lines of communication and co-operation with Government and non-Government organisations. Communicating best practice including advice on legislation. Planning and managing baseline and monitoring surveys, Phase 1, Extended through to Phase 2, impact assessments, analysing and mapping findings and reporting on recommendations. I designed and contributed toward a number of survey methodologies. An impact monitoring methodology I designed, communicated and trained volunteers to monitor was subsequently taken up by Wildlife Trusts in Warwickshire and Worcestershire to help visually communicate impacts of deer on woodlands to their members.

Backford Hall

Working as part of a small multi-disciplinary team of 3 specialists. Key responsibility for delivery across four programmes of work, specifically Ecology, but also Archaeology, Access & Interpretation and Training & Volunteers. • Working in partnership with key Government and non-Government organisations. • Planning a wide range of ecological animal and habitat surveys, analysis of data and reporting and acting upon findings.• Personal budget responsibility of £240k plus negotiation of in-kind time providing an additional (approx.) £100k of resources in material, volunteers and staff time from partner organisations. • Through effective research, management and innovative delivery mechanisms I was able to bring all ecology projects, approx. 40 within budget whilst delivering an additional 11 projects not originally planned or budgeted. • My adaptability to work effectively in multiple roles managing projects, as environmental specialist and team worker made me a key player in the successful planning and delivery of a complex multi-million pound Heritage Lottery Landscape Partnership Scheme.

North Wales And Shropshire

After taking voluntary early retirement (before age 30!) the severance pay provided the opportunity of changing career and starting a small business in the countryside sector. I was also able to return to University to study BSC (Hons).Self-employed dry-stone waller and hedge layer. Undertaking contracts for a range of clients including farmers, landowners, private home owners and local councils in the North Wales and Shropshire area. Working with local councils countryside teams, CADW and North Shropshire College I regularly delivered dry-stone walling and hedge-laying courses and helped facilitate volunteering opportunities.

Environmental Impact Assessment & Management, Environmental Studies, Msc

Activities and Societies: Student Rep Core course units include: Environmental Impact Assessment Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment.

Bsc (Hons) First Class, Wildlife And Countryside Management

Activities and Societies: Student Rep Honours Dissertation Entitled; Implementing Ecological Networks in the UK: the barriers.

Education record

• Habitat & Species Survey & Identification Courses: Field Studies Council 3-5 day courses: Monitoring and Surveying for Conservation.