--- title: "Desk study for a pipeline or cable route: what to do | Vireo" description: "The early evidence a pipeline, cable or grid corridor option needs: ground, peat, habitats and heritage, in the order a routeing team will use them." image: https://www.vireonature.com/hubfs/og2_a08.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/linear-route-desk-study#main) [**New**Launch price: the first ten sites get the Site Evidence Pack at £3,600. Check whether your site qualifiesLaunch offer: £3,600 a site. 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ground](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/routes-and-ground) Guide[Routes and ground](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/routes-and-ground) # Route desk study for a pipeline, cable or grid line: the evidence a corridor option needs For routeing and consents leads comparing corridor options for a pipeline, cable or overhead line. A corridor option needs eight evidence layers on the same strip before you compare it with another: ground, peat, mining, motion, habitats, water, heritage and access. Each has a published source you can open today, and each source states the scale it is meant for. By the Vireo teamPublished 10 November 202612 minute readSources checked 10 November 2026 ![Desk study for a pipeline or cable route: what to do | Vireo](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_08.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_08.jpg) On this page Share Key points - Since 24 July 2026 an application for development consent is accepted only if it "is of a standard that the Secretary of State considers satisfactory" ([Planning Act 2008, section 55(3)(f)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/29/section/55)). - The European Ground Motion Service measures motion between January 2020 and December 2024 and is, in its own words, "more appropriate to wider-scale (e.g. 1:50,000 scale) analysis" ([Copernicus EGMS questions and answers](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/faq/products/european-ground-motion-service), read 10 November 2026). - The first phase of trenching on one proposed 184 km grid connection "comprised approximately 3,350 trial trenches across 55 working areas", as reported by [Headland Archaeology](https://headlandarchaeology.com/projects/norwich-to-tilbury-priority-trenching) (read 10 November 2026). Your options report compares two or three corridors, and in England the application that follows now meets a changed acceptance test. From 24 July 2026, amended [section 55 of the Planning Act 2008](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/29/section/55) tests the standard of the application and the documents that accompany it. **3,350 trial trenches** Against First phase on one 184 km grid route, 55 working areas Source Reported by Headland Archaeology Date Checked 10 Nov 2026 **1:50,000** Against Scale of BGS Geology 50K, supplied as five themes Source British Geological Survey, data.gov.uk Date Checked 10 Nov 2026 **Over 80** Against Historic Environment Records in England Source Historic England Date Checked 10 Nov 2026 ## What does a corridor option need before you compare it? Each option needs the same eight layers, read on a strip of the same width, each with its source and date. A layer held for one option and not the other is a gap in the comparison. Ground and peat can rule out whole lengths of a route. Habitats and designated heritage shift it locally. Unrecorded archaeology and access shape the working width and the programme. ## The rules a routeing comparison answers to Three published frameworks set what the comparison must show. For overhead lines in Great Britain, routeing studies apply the Holford Rules. Rule 1 opens: "Avoid altogether, if possible, the major areas of highest amenity value" ([Holford Rules, as reproduced by SP Energy Networks, May 2024](https://spenergynetworks.co.uk/userfiles/file/Appendix-A-Holford-Rules.pdf)). National Grid states that the guidelines "were initially developed in 1959 and have been reviewed on a number of occasions" ([its North Humber to High Marnham routeing study, June 2023](https://www.nationalgrid.com/document/348821/download)). The same study applies the Horlock Rules to substation siting. In Ireland, EirGrid uses six steps. Step 4 asks: "Where exactly should we build?". It compares its investigations under five categories: technical, economic, environmental, socio-economic and deliverability ([EirGrid, The Route Option Consultation Process, 2021](https://consult.eirgrid.ie/en/node/2066)). For nationally significant projects in England, section 55(4) lists what the decision on standard must take into account. The phrase "the quality and sufficiency of the application documents" is the law firm Burges Salmon's, not the statute's ([Burges Salmon, 24 June 2026](https://www.burges-salmon.com/articles/102n685/statutory-consultation-falls-away-for-dco-projects-what-live-schemes-need-to-kno)). The government guidance of 3 July 2026 refers to a "28-day acceptance period" ([Planning Act 2008: guidance on the acceptance stage](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/planning-act-2008-guidance-on-the-acceptance-stage-of-an-application)). ## Eight layers and the public source for each | Evidence layer | Public source | What it settles early | | --- | --- | --- | | Superficial geology and peat | BGS Geology 50K and GeoIndex boreholes; England Peat Map; GSI Quaternary sediments (Ireland) | Where soft or organic ground sits, and where logs already exist | | Mining and made ground | Mining Remediation Authority map viewer; BGS artificial ground theme | Whether an option crosses recorded workings or worked ground | | Ground motion | European Ground Motion Service, 2020 to 2024 | Whether measured points near the strip are moving | | Habitats | Priority Habitats Inventory and SSSI Impact Risk Zones; NPWS Protected Sites viewer (Ireland) | Which lengths cross or approach protected sites | | Watercourses and flood zones | Flood Map for Planning, Flood Zones | Crossing count and length in Zones 2 and 3 | | Designated heritage | National Heritage List for England; Historic Environment Viewer (Ireland) | Nationally protected assets on or beside the strip | | Local record, aerial and LiDAR features | Historic Environment Record; Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer; National LIDAR Programme | What is recorded but not designated, and what shows in the terrain | | Land use and access | National LIDAR Programme 1 m terrain, with your land referencing | Where slope and ground form limit access | Table 1. Sources opened on 10 November 2026 and listed at the end. The peat, habitat and heritage rows name England and Ireland sources only. The flood and LiDAR sources cover England only. Elsewhere in the UK, use the national agencies' own maps. ## Ground first: geology, peat, mining and motion Start with what the ground is made of, because it can rule options out. BGS describes its 1:50 000 data as "supplied as five themes: bedrock, superficial deposits, mass movement, artificial ground and linear features" ([BGS Geology 50K, data.gov.uk, updated 6 November 2026](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/bgs-geology-50k-digmapgb-50-version-8)). It adds that artificial ground "represents a snapshot in time". [BGS GeoIndex Onshore](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/map-viewers/geoindex-onshore/) shows borehole records beside that geology. For peat in England, Natural England launched the England Peat Map on 12 May 2025. Its authors say it "needs to be used in conjunction with local evidence for site-level decisions" ([Natural England, A new peat map for England](https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2025/05/12/a-new-peat-map-for-england)). In Ireland the [GSI Quaternary sediments map](https://gsi.ie/data-and-maps/Quaternary/) shows peat at 1 to 50,000. On peat slopes, see the Scottish Government's best practice guide (second edition, 26 April 2017). It lists geological information, site-wide aerial photography and digital elevation data among "essential sources for the initial assessment" ([Peat landslide hazard and risk assessments: best practice guide](https://www.gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/4/)). Geological Survey Ireland warns that 'susceptibility' "should not be confused with 'hazard' and 'risk'" on its [landslide susceptibility map](https://gsi.ie/programmes-projects/geohazards/projects/landslide-susceptibility-mapping/). The [Mining Remediation Authority map viewer](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/access-coal-mining-information-and-data) (guidance published 16 July 2026) shows "coal mining data and the extent of mining in Britain". It also shows "historical metal mining locations in England". The 2020 to 2024 ground motion release went live on 29 April 2026 ([Copernicus Land Monitoring Service news](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/news/egms-annual-update-brings-new-data-improvements-to-egms-explorer)). The publisher's [questions and answers page](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/faq/products/european-ground-motion-service) lists Ireland and the United Kingdom among the countries covered. Check coverage along your strip in the EGMS Explorer, linked from the [EGMS product page](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/products/european-ground-motion-service). The same questions and answers page says the data "is not appropriate to the analysis of individual buildings, unless they are large enough to cover the ambiguity". It also says that "typically vegetation causes decorrelation from one image to the next, and so no reliable data can be extracted". Expect fewer points on vegetated ground, and report where there are none. ## Habitats and water Read designated sites and mapped habitat together, then count crossings. Natural England's [Priority Habitats Inventory](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/priority-habitats-inventory-england) is "a spatial dataset that maps priority habitats" and, on its data.gov.uk record, "is updated twice a year". [SSSI Impact Risk Zones](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/sssi-impact-risk-zones-england1) (updated 13 July 2026) are "for local planning authorities (LPAs) to determine if a proposed development is likely to affect a terrestrial SSSI". In Ireland the [NPWS Protected Sites map-viewer](https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites) holds Natural Heritage Areas, Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas. For water in England, the Flood Zones show "the extent of land at present day risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, ignoring the benefits of defences". Zone 3 is land with "a 1% (1 in 100) or greater annual probability of flooding from rivers", or 0.5 per cent or greater from the sea. The Environment Agency states the zones "are not suitable for showing whether an individual property is at risk of flooding" ([Flood Map for Planning: Flood Zones, updated 22 October 2026](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/flood-map-for-planning-flood-zones1)). ## How much archaeology does the public record show? The record shows what is protected and what has been found so far. The [National Heritage List for England](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/) is "the only official, up to date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England". Local finds sit in Historic Environment Records. Historic England counts "over 80 HERs in England", which are "maintained and managed by local authorities". They hold "local archaeological sites and finds, historic buildings and historic landscapes" ([Historic England, What is a Historic Environment Record](https://historicengland.org.uk/admin-section/heritage-gateway/what-is-a-historic-environment-record/)). The [CIfA Standard and guidance for historic environment desk-based assessment](https://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/CIfAS%26GDBA_4.pdf) (December 2014, updated October 2020) sets the test. A desk-based assessment "will determine, as far as is reasonably possible from existing records, the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment within a specified area". Its annex lists Historic Environment Records, aerial photographs, satellite images, and borehole and test pit logs. Historic England's [Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer](https://cms.historicengland.org.uk/research/results/aerial-archaeology-mapping-explorer) "displays archaeology that has been identified, mapped and recorded", and notes there are areas "which we and our partners haven't analysed in detail yet". The [National LIDAR Programme](https://data.gov.uk/dataset/f0db0249-f17b-4036-9e65-309148c97ce4/national-lidar-programme) gives "accurate elevation data at 1m spatial resolution" in 302 survey blocks "covering all of England". In Ireland the [Historic Environment Viewer](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/services/historic-environment-viewer-for-archaeological-and-architectural-heritage) gives access to the Sites and Monuments Record. Only records that are "precisely located are visible on the map". What the record leaves open is settled by trenching, and the volumes are large. The first phase on the 184 km route above works out at about 18 trenches per kilometre (our arithmetic: 3,350 divided by 184). On one carbon dioxide pipeline section, 242 trenches were to be dug "as part of a 2% sample of the working width of the pipeline corridor". A separate 79 trenches target features from earlier geophysical surveys, as reported by [Deeside.com on 2 June 2025](https://www.deeside.com/archaeology-checks-ordered-for-flintshire-section-of-hynet-co%e2%82%82-pipeline/). Staged evaluation can reduce the count. A quarry case study in the [CIfA client guide (2023)](https://archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/2023-12/CIfA-Client-Guide-2023-Managing-Archaeology-Case-Study.pdf) reports that a phased approach "avoided the need for digging several hundred evaluation trenches across this landscape". An Environment Agency research summary (September 2020) lists "cost savings of integrated project planning" among its lessons. It refers to "combining engineering and archaeological needs when planning geophysical and geotechnical investigations" ([The role of archaeology in construction, project summary](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6038d1a1d3bf7f0393f2b728/The_role_of_archaeology_in_construction_-_summary.pdf)). Try it ### Corridor evidence stacker Tick the layers you hold for one corridor option. The stacker shows the public source for each, what it answers, and which layers are still missing. Tick each evidence layer you already hold for this corridor option, with its source and date written down. Superficial geology and peat Mining and made ground Ground motion Designated habitats and priority habitat Watercourses and flood zones Designated heritage Historic environment record and aerial or LiDAR features Land use and access 5 of 8 layers covered Sources are those cited in this article, and each names the nation it covers. Each publisher states its own scale of use. [Send us your route with these numbers](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) ## Illustrative example An invented 30 km underground cable option runs from an upland fringe to lowland farmland. The team splits it into 30 lengths of 1 km. A length is flagged when any layer shows something only a visit can settle. Ground flags: peat 3 km, mining 1 km, ground motion 1 km. Other flags: habitats 2 km, water 2 km, designated heritage 1 km, local record and aerial features 2 km, access none. That sums to 12. Four lengths carry two flags each. Motion sits on the mining length. One habitat length is also peat. One recorded feature sits at a watercourse, and one beside the designated asset. So 12 minus 4 gives 8 distinct lengths. Peat and superficial geology3 kmMining and made ground1 kmGround motion1 kmHabitats2 kmWatercourses and flood zones2 kmDesignated heritage1 kmLocal record and aerial features2 kmLand use and access0 kmDistinct lengths flagged8 km of 30Kilometres of route flagged (1 km lengths, 30 km route) Figure 1. Illustrative 30 km route option: lengths flagged by each evidence layer, and the distinct total after shared lengths are counted once. Invented data. Layer sources as in Table 1. The share needing an early walkover is 8 divided by 30, or 27 per cent. The Scottish guide says why those lengths come first. "Site reconnaissance should be undertaken early in the EIA process to verify the features identified during the desk study" ([best practice guide, second edition](https://www.gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/4/)). Repeat the count for each option on the same strip width. This is the idea behind the Corridor Evidence Pack from Vireo Nature: a desk read of a linear route, across the UK and Ireland. The illustrative 30 km corridor on our site narrows 1,240 unlisted anomalies to a first ten. Its message is "walk 8 km, not 30". Every figure in a pack carries its range, its source and its test label. Vireo can supply the surveys that follow: drone, aerial and ground, including ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry. Choosing between corridor options this quarter? [Send us your route](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) and we reply within two working days. ## What to do next ### Fix the strip and the sources Set one strip width for every option and write down the eight sources and their dates. This step needs nothing but the public record. ### Count flagged lengths per option Split each option into 1 km lengths and repeat the arithmetic in the example. ### Request the local records Ask each Historic Environment Record on the route for its data, and list the borehole logs in the strip. ### Plan one field campaign Combine the walkover, geophysical survey and ground investigation plans, so heritage and engineering teams go to the same lengths once. ## Quick answers Is an EIA a legal requirement? For EIA development, yes. Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 says permission must not be granted unless an EIA has been carried out. A route desk study gives screening and scoping their evidence early. Source: [Town and Country Planning (EIA) Regulations 2017, regulation 3](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/571/regulation/3/made). ## Sources 1. [legislation.gov.uk: Planning Act 2008, section 55, as amended from 24 July 2026 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/29/section/55) 2. [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Planning Act 2008, guidance on the acceptance stage of an application, 3 July 2026 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/planning-act-2008-guidance-on-the-acceptance-stage-of-an-application) 3. [Burges Salmon: Statutory consultation falls away for DCO projects, 24 June 2026, secondary source (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.burges-salmon.com/articles/102n685/statutory-consultation-falls-away-for-dco-projects-what-live-schemes-need-to-kno) 4. [SP Energy Networks: Appendix A, The Holford Rules, May 2024 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://spenergynetworks.co.uk/userfiles/file/Appendix-A-Holford-Rules.pdf) 5. [National Grid Electricity Transmission: North Humber to High Marnham Corridor Preliminary Routeing and Siting Study, June 2023 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.nationalgrid.com/document/348821/download) 6. [EirGrid: The Route Option Consultation Process, 2021 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://consult.eirgrid.ie/en/node/2066) 7. [British Geological Survey: BGS Geology 50K (DiGMapGB-50) version 8, data.gov.uk record updated 6 November 2026 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/bgs-geology-50k-digmapgb-50-version-8) 8. [British Geological Survey: GeoIndex Onshore (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/map-viewers/geoindex-onshore/) 9. [Natural England: A new peat map for England, 12 May 2025 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2025/05/12/a-new-peat-map-for-england) 10. [Mining Remediation Authority: Access coal mining information and data, published 16 July 2026 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/access-coal-mining-information-and-data) 11. [Copernicus Land Monitoring Service: European Ground Motion Service questions and answers (checked 10 November 2026)](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/faq/products/european-ground-motion-service) 12. [Copernicus Land Monitoring Service: EGMS annual update brings new data, 29 April 2026 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/news/egms-annual-update-brings-new-data-improvements-to-egms-explorer) 13. [Copernicus Land Monitoring Service: European Ground Motion Service product page (checked 10 November 2026)](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/products/european-ground-motion-service) 14. [Scottish Government: Peat landslide hazard and risk assessments, best practice guide, second edition, 26 April 2017, section 4 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/4/) 15. [Geological Survey Ireland: Quaternary sediments map (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gsi.ie/data-and-maps/Quaternary/) 16. [Geological Survey Ireland: Landslide susceptibility mapping (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gsi.ie/programmes-projects/geohazards/projects/landslide-susceptibility-mapping/) 17. [Natural England: Priority Habitats Inventory (England), data.gov.uk record updated 18 November 2025 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/priority-habitats-inventory-england) 18. [Natural England: SSSI Impact Risk Zones (England), data.gov.uk record updated 13 July 2026 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/sssi-impact-risk-zones-england1) 19. [National Parks and Wildlife Service: Protected Sites in Ireland (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites) 20. [Environment Agency: Flood Map for Planning, Flood Zones, data.gov.uk record updated 22 October 2026 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/flood-map-for-planning-flood-zones1) 21. [Environment Agency: National LIDAR Programme, data.gov.uk record updated 12 September 2025 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://data.gov.uk/dataset/f0db0249-f17b-4036-9e65-309148c97ce4/national-lidar-programme) 22. [Historic England: The National Heritage List for England (checked 10 November 2026)](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/) 23. [Historic England: What is a Historic Environment Record (checked 10 November 2026)](https://historicengland.org.uk/admin-section/heritage-gateway/what-is-a-historic-environment-record/) 24. [Historic England: Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer (checked 10 November 2026)](https://cms.historicengland.org.uk/research/results/aerial-archaeology-mapping-explorer) 25. [Government of Ireland: Historic Environment Viewer for archaeological and architectural heritage, updated 6 November 2020 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/services/historic-environment-viewer-for-archaeological-and-architectural-heritage) 26. [Chartered Institute for Archaeologists: Standard and guidance for historic environment desk-based assessment, December 2014, updated October 2020 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/CIfAS%26GDBA_4.pdf) 27. [Chartered Institute for Archaeologists: Professional Archaeology, a guide for clients, case studies, 2023 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/2023-12/CIfA-Client-Guide-2023-Managing-Archaeology-Case-Study.pdf) 28. [Headland Archaeology: Norwich to Tilbury priority trenching, secondary source (checked 10 November 2026)](https://headlandarchaeology.com/projects/norwich-to-tilbury-priority-trenching) 29. [Deeside.com: Archaeology checks ordered for Flintshire section of HyNet carbon dioxide pipeline, 2 June 2025, secondary source (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.deeside.com/archaeology-checks-ordered-for-flintshire-section-of-hynet-co%e2%82%82-pipeline/) 30. [Environment Agency: The role of archaeology in construction, project summary, September 2020 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6038d1a1d3bf7f0393f2b728/The_role_of_archaeology_in_construction_-_summary.pdf) ## Ask the team ### Ask the team about route desk studies Send your question and the team replies personally within two working days. No sales sequence. Your question First name Work email Send my question We use your details to reply to you. [Privacy notice](https://www.vireonature.com/privacy) ![](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/favicon-32.png?width=52&height=52&name=favicon-32.png) **Written by the Vireo team**Vireo Nature reads land before anyone surveys it. Every figure in our work carries its range, its source and its test. *Working on something like this?***Send us your route** Three details. The team checks coverage and fit, and replies within two working days. [Send us your route](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) *Live example***Inside a site** Tap real peat, river, habitat and ground motion data, read by the Vireo Neural Map. [Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site) *Working on something like this?***Send us your route** Three details. The team checks coverage and fit, and replies within two working days. [Send us your route](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) *Live example***Inside a site** Tap real peat, river, habitat and ground motion data, read by the Vireo Neural Map. [Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site) ## Keep reading ### [![Satellite ground motion in a desk study: how to use the 2020 to 2024 European data](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_09.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_09.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 12 minute read Satellite ground motion in a desk study: how to use the 2020 to 2024 European data How to use European Ground Motion Service data for 2020 to 2024 in a geotechnical desk study: scale of use, what each product shows and how to report it. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/egms-ground-motion-desk-study) ### [![Peat management plan: what it must contain and what a reviewer checks](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_01.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_01.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 12 minute read Peat management plan: what it must contain and what a reviewer checks What a peat management plan must contain, the excavation and reuse figures a reviewer tests, and the survey evidence each figure rests on. With sources. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-management-plan-contents) ### [![BNG for major infrastructure: setting the boundary and baseline on a linear route](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_02.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_02.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 11 minute read BNG for major infrastructure: setting the boundary and baseline on a linear route Biodiversity net gain has applied to major infrastructure since 2 November 2026. How to set the boundary and baseline on a linear route, with sources. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/bng-nsip-linear-route-baseline) ## See what is under your site before you survey it. Send a site or a route and the decision you face. Three details, and a reply from the team within two working days. [Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk)[Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site) ## Related guides and services - [See a 30 km route desk study, live →](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) - [Wind farm and grid evidence →](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/wind-and-grid) - [Satellite ground motion desk study guide →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/egms-ground-motion-desk-study) - [BNG baseline on a linear route →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/bng-nsip-linear-route-baseline) ![Vireo Nature](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo_rev_1.png?width=96&height=46&name=logo_rev_1.png) © 2026 Vireo Nature · [Privacy notice](https://www.vireonature.com/privacy) [How it works](https://www.vireonature.com/how-it-works)[Results](https://www.vireonature.com/results)[Data sources](https://www.vireonature.com/data)[Offers and pricing](https://www.vireonature.com/offers)[Report](https://www.vireonature.com/report)[Insights](https://www.vireonature.com/insights)[Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)[Corridor Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/146700865)[Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/vireonature.com) Occasional updates on the Neural Map and new sealed results. Work email Sign up I agree to receive occasional updates from Vireo Nature and to Vireo Nature storing my email for this. Unsubscribe any time. Figures as at October 2026. They describe what exists today, not forecasts. Data: Copernicus Sentinel-2 and Copernicus DEM (modified), NASA MODIS MCD64A1, Tellus survey. [Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org", "@type" : "Organization", "description" : "Checkable evidence under decisions about nature: land, water, habitat, carbon and biodiversity, with a range on every figure.", "email" : "sales@vireonature.com", "logo" : "https://149697625.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/149697625/logo_rev_1.png", "name" : "Vireo Nature", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/146700865", "https://bsky.app/profile/vireonature.com" ], "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ], "description" : "A desk screen (peat depth with its range, ground motion, surface change and water held on a 50 m grid) and a walkable probe plan aimed where the ranges are widest.", "name" : "Site Evidence Pack", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Peat depth screen and probe plan", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ], "description" : "A calibrated depth, volume and carbon read from your own probes, with a range and an evidence tier on every number.", "name" : "Site Assessment", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Calibrated peat depth, volume and carbon read", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ], "description" : "A screen and probe plan for a site or route, so the peat survey for your environmental statement goes where it matters.", "name" : "Peat depth screening for wind, solar and grid routes", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Peat screen for wind and infrastructure routes", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "description" : "Screens and calibrated reads under your own client work, and bespoke projects designed with your team.", "name" : "Evidence behind your advice", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Evidence for consultancies", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "description" : "A sealed test of a figure someone else produced: the prediction is locked before the values are released, then scored once.", "name" : "Independent re-test", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Independent verification of environmental figures", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "description" : "Condition, surface change and bog breathing across a restored site, read against its baseline.", "name" : "Restoration outcome evidence", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Peatland restoration monitoring", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "FAQPage", "mainEntity" : [ { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "For EIA development, yes. 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