Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records

Getting data from GCER

Each year GCER produces hundreds of data search reports for ecological consultancies and other commercial data users. We can provide:

Maps and descriptions for non-statutory sites

Lists and/or distribution maps for rare, protected and notable species

Maps and citations for statutory designated wildlife areas

Landscape-level maps of habitats, Nature Improvement Areas and Strategic Nature Areas

Combined reports listing, or mapping, any of the above

GIS mapping, analysis and interpretation of wildlife data, including raw data provided by the client

We find that most searches fit within a one- or two-hour rate. See below for a rough guide to how much a search is likely to cost. Data searches for ecological consultants are prioritised above other work. We aim to respond to all requests within 48 hours and complete all searches within 10 working days (the average is 5 days). As these are already prioritised we don't have a "fast track" option - effectively they're all fast-tracked as far as is possible. However, we try to order our work according to the urgency of the request, so if you need something extra quickly it is worth asking if it can be given the highest priority.

Complete a data request form and send it to us for a quick quote for any of our data services. The green button at the top of this page opens a standard online form, but you can also click here for alternative formats.

..... Speed up data requests:

Not sure about which LERC to contact? check here first

Make it clear on the request form which categories of information you need e.g. "bats only", "Local Sites only", "all designated sites and species" etc.

Specify a central grid reference point for radius searches. UK Ordnance Survey references are preferred but lat/long references are also helpful.

Specify a date range or cutoff date (e.g. "records from the last 10 years") if you don't want lots of much older records included in your search results

Include a map if you'd like the search to relate to specific area(s) rather than a central point

Check that your instructions are the same on the map as on the request form!

Service charges

Like the majority of LERCs, GCER charges for commercial data searches. This includes the cost of exporting and preparing data and reports, and also has to cover the time spent on collating and processing the many and varied sources of incoming data. We aim to keep our standard commercial searches as quick and cheap as possible whilst ensuring that records are clearly-presented, well-validated and as comprehensive as data sources permit.

From May 2024, charges are as follows:

Data searches

Our minimum search fee for commercial data searches is £152, covering the first hour. More lengthy requests will be charged at £90 for each extra hour (the first rise since 2022) or our daily rate (see below), whichever is cheaper. These increases bring us more in line with charges in adjacent LERCs and reflect the greatly increased staff and overhead costs over the last two years.

Searches where no data is found will continue to attract no search fee charge unless a standard report is still requested, in which case the maximum fee will be the lesser one-hour charge of £90.

Commercial projects, website design and advanced GIS work

Standard commercial day rate for data collation, basic web content, multiple searches, data conversion and provision: £405

Advanced commercial day rate for spatial analysis, ecological modelling, interactive web design and advanced report creation: £490 [unchanged from 2023]

Add-ons, duplicate reports, copies and other small tasks

Administration fee for smaller or ‘add-on’ items of work: £34

THESE PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE VAT, WHICH IN MOST CASES WILL NEED TO BE ADDED.

Ways of reducing data search costs

We want our data to get used! In the interests of the many small consultancies who use our services we try to keep price increases to a minimum by constantly looking for new ways to increase the speed and efficiency of searches. Consultants may be able to reduce costs further by combining several searches into one slightly wider search, eg. if you have several nearby sites with overlapping search radiuses required for the same client.

We may also be able to reduce costs if you require just a spreadsheet of results and no associated maps, GIS layers or reports - although conditions of data use would still apply. This may not provide a useful output directly to clients but can be helpful for consultants' preliminary screening of large areas in order to decide where to concentrate more detailed searches or surveys later in the assessment process.