--- title: "Third-party environmental data: ten questions to ask | Vireo" description: Ten questions to ask before third-party data goes into an environmental report, with the answer a good supplier should be able to give to each one. image: https://www.vireonature.com/hubfs/og2_a04.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/third-party-data-ten-questions#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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on](https://www.vireonature.com/insights) Guide[Evidence you can rely on](https://www.vireonature.com/insights) # Relying on third-party data in an environmental report: ten questions to ask first For technical directors and principal consultants who sign environmental reports. Ask ten questions that any supplier can answer in writing: testing, ranges, source dates, scale of use, licence, price, a sample, reliance, data handling and corrections. Score each answer, and let the gaps decide what goes into the report you sign. By the Vireo teamPublished 10 November 202612 minute readSources checked 10 November 2026 ![Third-party environmental data: ten questions to ask | Vireo](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_04.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_04.jpg) On this page Share Key points - The Planning Inspectorate updated how to declare artificial intelligence use on 23 September 2026 ([Use of artificial intelligence in casework evidence](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-casework-evidence)). A statement must include "What checks you made and that you take responsibility for the accuracy of the content." - The CIfA [Standard and guidance for historic environment desk-based assessment](https://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/CIfAS%26GDBA_4.pdf) was last updated on 1 October 2020. Paragraph 3.3.6 says: "All sources consulted should be listed in the report, whether or not they have been productive." - The Satellite Applications Catapult published [EO-enabled Nature Finance](https://sa.catapult.org.uk/blogs/eo-enabled-nature-finance-overcoming-barriers-and-building-uk-leadership/) on 26 March 2026. It says earth observation data "remains difficult to access due to opaque pricing, restrictive licensing, and inconsistent terms across providers". You sign the report, so the outside data in it is yours to defend. The Planning Inspectorate last updated its guidance [Use of artificial intelligence in casework evidence](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-casework-evidence) on 29 September 2026. It says: "All parties are expected to take responsibility for the accuracy and lawfulness of the material they submit." ## Who answers for outside data in a report you sign? You do. Three professional and regulatory sources point the same way, and none of them moves the duty to a supplier. The Planning Inspectorate guidance asks for a statement of three things: that artificial intelligence was used, what it was used for and how, and what checks you made. For larger cases with several experts it adds that "a 'catch all' declaration is unlikely to provide the level of information required." The guidance does not list bought-in data products, so read it against your own case. The position of the ISEP advice note Using AI in EIA is reported by its lead author in a [CIWEM article of 18 December 2025](https://www.ciwem.org/news/the-risks-and-benefits-of-ai-in-environmental-impact-assessments). In the article's words, "practitioners remain accountable for all outputs, regardless of the tools used." Desk study rules ask the same of every source. The CIfA standard says sources should be assessed for "relevance and reliability", and its paragraph 3.5.3 requires a conclusion with "a confidence rating". **3 items** Against What a declaration of artificial intelligence use must state Source Planning Inspectorate, Use of artificial intelligence in casework evidence Date Checked 10 Nov 2026 **More than 3 years** Against Age at which an ecological report "is unlikely to still be valid" Source CIEEM advice note, April 2019 Date Checked 10 Nov 2026 **6 dimensions** Against Data quality: completeness, uniqueness, consistency, timeliness, validity, accuracy Source Government Data Quality Framework, 3 December 2020 Date Checked 10 Nov 2026 ## The ten questions Each question below can be answered with an output or a source, by any supplier, in one email. None asks how a product works inside. You are checking what you can cite, not auditing the supplier. | Question | Why it matters | What a good answer looks like | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. What was it tested against, and on how many independent sites? | A result on the sites used to build a product says little about yours. | A named reference, a count of sites held back from the build, and the error in real units. | | 2. What is the range on each figure? | A single number hides how far the ground may sit from it. | A low and a high value, or a stated confidence, beside every figure. | | 3. What are the sources, and what is the date of each? | Your report must list sources and judge their reliability. | A list giving publisher, version and date for every input. | | 4. At what scale may the output be used? | A national product may not carry a site decision alone. | The stated resolution and intended use, in the publisher's words. | | 5. What are the licence and reuse terms? | Your client and the planning file must be able to hold the output. | Written terms covering your report, your client and publication. | | 6. What is the price, and what does it include? | You set your own fee on it. | One fixed figure, a list of outputs and a delivery time. | | 7. Can I see a sample output? | You judge fitness from an output, not a brochure. | A full sample in the delivered format, with figures and sources visible. | | 8. Who is accountable, and what does the reliance wording say? | Your insurer may ask what the supplier stands behind. | A named contact, a reliance clause and the liability position in writing. | | 9. How is my data used? | Site boundaries and client names are confidential. | A statement of what is stored, who sees it and whether it is reused. | | 10. How are corrections handled? | An error found after issue has to reach your report. | A version and date on every output, and a named route for corrections. | Table 1. The ten questions. The duties behind them are in the [CIfA standard](https://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/CIfAS%26GDBA_4.pdf), the [CIEEM Guidelines for accessing, using and sharing biodiversity data in the UK](https://cieem.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Accessing-and-Using-Biodiversity-Data-Guidance-in-the-UK-2023.pdf) (October 2023) and the Planning Inspectorate guidance. The right-hand column is this guide's reading of what satisfies them. ## Questions 1 to 4: what the evidence can support The first four questions tell you what weight a figure can bear. The [Government Data Quality Framework](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-government-data-quality-framework/the-government-data-quality-framework) of 3 December 2020 gives the plain test: "Accuracy describes the degree to which data matches reality." A good public example shows what an answer looks like. Natural England published [A new peat map for England](https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2025/05/12/a-new-peat-map-for-england) on 12 May 2025. It says the models "have an overall accuracy measure of over 95% for the extent of peaty soils and 94% for vegetation and land cover". The same post answers the scale question. It calls the product a "national-scale map" and says it "needs to be used in conjunction with local evidence for site-level decisions." That is a publisher stating the purpose of its map, and a supplier of any product can do the same. Dates matter as much as names. The framework defines timeliness as "the degree to which the data is an accurate reflection of the period that they represent". For ecological inputs the [CIEEM advice note On the Lifespan of Ecological Reports and Surveys](https://cieem.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Advice-Note.pdf) (April 2019) gives age bands. Under 12 months a report is "Likely to be valid in most cases." Between 18 months and 3 years, "A professional ecologist will need to undertake a site visit and may also need to update desk study information." Records are treated differently, and the two CIEEM documents should be read together. The 2023 guidelines say: "There is no definable cut off date for determining that desk study records of a certain age are no longer valid." They also say at section 2.2: "It is always important to remember that absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence." A blank area in a supplied layer needs the same caution. ## Questions 5 to 7: the terms you buy on Licence, price and a sample decide whether you can use the output at all. The earth observation sector names all three as barriers. The Catapult article says limited access to sample datasets raises the barrier to entry. It adds that processing pipelines are often "black boxes", which "limits auditability and trust". A written answer to the ten questions gives you something to audit. Licence terms differ by source, and they pass down the chain. The [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) lets you "copy, publish, distribute and transmit the Information" if you "acknowledge the source of the Information in your product or application". Other terms are tighter. Ordnance Survey states that "Sharing or distributing OS data with third parties requires a licence" ([Licensing guidance](https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/licensing/licence-guide)). The CIEEM guidelines note that the CC-BY-NC licence "does not allow commercial use of that data without prior permission from the data provider." On price, the public sector has reported the same difficulty. The Geospatial Commission published [Investigating UK public sector demand for Earth Observation technology](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigating-uk-public-sector-demand-for-earth-observation-technology/investigating-uk-public-sector-demand-for-earth-observation-technology-executive-summary) on 16 June 2022. The executive summary recorded "a concern about how public sector organisations can ensure that they are getting value for money". So ask for one figure, the list of outputs it buys and the delivery time. Ask which inputs carry third-party terms and whether your client may publish the output with a planning application. ## Questions 8 to 10: what happens after delivery The last three questions cover what the supplier stands behind, what it does with your site details and how it fixes errors. Get each answer in writing before you rely on the output. Insurers are being told to ask. A [Browne Jacobson briefing of 26 February 2026](https://www.brownejacobson.com/insights/the-word-february-2026/pi-insurers-questions-about-clients-ai-usage) lists questions for professional indemnity insurers to put to clients about their use of artificial intelligence. They include "What due diligence have you done on the vendor?" The same briefing asks "What are the liability provisions in your contracts with your suppliers of AI software?" It observes that "Most AI software providers significantly limit their liability." The briefing is written about software, and the questions suit any outside evidence supplier. Open data carries its own position. The Open Government Licence states that information is licensed "as is" and that "The Information Provider does not guarantee the continued supply of the Information." On your own data, the CIWEM article reports that practitioners should check "whether information is being shared with third party systems outside the organisation." Ask what is stored, for how long and who can see it. On corrections, the same article reports that "all outputs must be checked against underlying evidence, with a clear audit trail of any changes made." A version number and date on each output make that trail possible. The CIEEM guidelines add that "metadata should be documented fully in survey reports produced for clients". ## Illustrative example An invented consultancy is preparing an ecological chapter for an invented 40 hectare site. The report will be signed in March 2027. A supplier offers a habitat data product, and the consultant asks question 3. The supplier replies with four ecological inputs and their dates: June 2026, October 2025, August 2024 and May 2023. Counting whole months to March 2027 gives ages of 9, 17, 31 and 46 months. Habitat survey, June 20269 months: under 12 monthsBird survey, October 202517 months: 12 to 18 monthsHabitat survey, August 202431 months: 18 months to 3 yearsSpecies report, May 202346 months: more than 3 yearsAge of each input at signing, in months (linear scale) Figure 1. Age of four invented inputs at a March 2027 signing date. The age bands are from the CIEEM advice note On the Lifespan of Ecological Reports and Surveys (April 2019). Vireo arithmetic. Set against the CIEEM bands, the first input is likely to be valid in most cases. The second is "Likely to be valid in most cases", with the exceptions the note lists. The third needs a site visit by a professional ecologist. The fourth is over 3 years old. The note says such a report "is unlikely to still be valid and most, if not all, of the surveys are likely to need to be updated." The supplier scores 2 on question 3 because the answer was clear and dated. That clear answer is what let the consultant plan two updates before signing. An undated source list would have hidden both. If you have a site and a report to sign, [send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) and we reply within two working days. ## What does a clear answer look like in practice? A clear answer is short, written and checkable. Vireo's own answers are shown here, so you can score them as you would any supplier. - **Questions 1 to 3.** Every figure in a Site Evidence Pack carries its range, its source and its test label. - **Question 7.** The illustrative 30 km corridor example on the site narrows 1,240 unlisted anomalies to a first ten. Its message is "walk 8 km, not 30". - **Any of the ten.** Send the questions with your site and the team replies within two working days. The Site Evidence Pack is a desk read of a site before survey, and the Corridor Evidence Pack is the same for a linear route. Coverage is the UK and Ireland. Vireo can supply the surveys: drone, aerial and ground, including ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry. Try it ### Supplier scorecard Score any supplier on the ten questions. Choose one answer for each. The score starts at 0 and updates as you go. Supplier or product being scored 0 out of 20 Scoring: a clear answer with evidence scores 2, a partial answer scores 1, no answer scores 0. Bands: 0 to 9 low, 10 to 15 middle, 16 to 20 high. The scores and bands are this guide's own. Nothing you enter leaves this page. Print this scorecard [Send us your site with these numbers](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) ## What to do next - Print the scorecard and send the ten questions to a supplier you already use. It costs nothing but an email. - File the written answers with the project record, beside your source list and confidence statement. - Where an answer is partial, state the gap in your methods section or close it before you sign. - For ecological inputs, set each source date against the CIEEM age bands before the survey season is booked. - Put the same ten questions to each new supplier before the first order. Does the Planning Inspectorate guidance apply to a bought-in data product? The guidance says "Tell us if you have intentionally used AI to", among other things, "produce a summary or analysis". It does not list data products. Take your own advice on your case. Is a high score enough to rely on a product? No score replaces your judgement. The scorecard records what a supplier has put in writing. The duty to assess each source stays with the person who signs. ## Sources 1. [Planning Inspectorate: Use of artificial intelligence in casework evidence (published 6 September 2024, last updated 29 September 2026) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-casework-evidence) 2. [Chartered Institute for Archaeologists: Standard and guidance for historic environment desk-based assessment (December 2014, last updated 1 October 2020) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/CIfAS%26GDBA_4.pdf) 3. [CIEEM: Guidelines for accessing, using and sharing biodiversity data in the UK (October 2023) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://cieem.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Accessing-and-Using-Biodiversity-Data-Guidance-in-the-UK-2023.pdf) 4. [CIEEM: Advice note On the Lifespan of Ecological Reports and Surveys (April 2019) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://cieem.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Advice-Note.pdf) 5. [Government Data Quality Hub: The Government Data Quality Framework (3 December 2020) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-government-data-quality-framework/the-government-data-quality-framework) 6. [The National Archives: Open Government Licence for public sector information, version 3.0 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) 7. [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) 8. [Ordnance Survey: Licensing guidance (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/licensing/licence-guide) 9. [Geospatial Commission and Satellite Applications Catapult: Investigating UK public sector demand for Earth Observation technology, executive summary (16 June 2022) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investigating-uk-public-sector-demand-for-earth-observation-technology/investigating-uk-public-sector-demand-for-earth-observation-technology-executive-summary) 10. [Satellite Applications Catapult: EO-enabled Nature Finance: Overcoming Barriers and Building UK Leadership (26 March 2026) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://sa.catapult.org.uk/blogs/eo-enabled-nature-finance-overcoming-barriers-and-building-uk-leadership/) 11. [CIWEM: The risks and benefits of AI in environmental impact assessments, by the lead author of the ISEP advice note Using AI in EIA (18 December 2025) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.ciwem.org/news/the-risks-and-benefits-of-ai-in-environmental-impact-assessments) 12. [Browne Jacobson: Questions professional indemnity insurers should be asking about their clients' AI usage (26 February 2026) (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.brownejacobson.com/insights/the-word-february-2026/pi-insurers-questions-about-clients-ai-usage) ## Ask the team ### Ask the team about third-party data 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 site** Three details. The team checks coverage and fit, and replies within two working days. [Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) *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 site** Three details. The team checks coverage and fit, and replies within two working days. [Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) *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 ### [![Pricing a fixed-fee survey when you cannot see the ground: where to spend field days](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_11.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_11.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 11 minute read Pricing a fixed-fee survey when you cannot see the ground: where to spend field days How to price a fixed-fee survey when the ground is unknown: what a desk read settles before the bid, and where to spend field days in a short season. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/fixed-fee-survey-field-days) ### [![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. 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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. 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