Data search Frequently asked questions

How long will the data search take?
What's included in a data search?

Find out what format the data will come in and what species are included here

Where do the records come from?

Our data searches include all available records from our database within your search parameters. Data comes from a wide variety of sources including organisations and individuals. We include records from some external platforms such as iRecord however we do not include data directly from the NBN atlas. Whilst we try to ensure that the data sent out in our searches is as up to date as possible, incorporating data into our database requires time to ensure accuracy so we cannot guarantee that records submitted will be immediately available as part of the data search.

What is the charge made for?

While the information from RECORD in itself will remain free, we charge a non-profit fee to cover administrating the data search and a proportion of our overheads.

How long can I use the data for?

Please refer to our terms and conditions for how the data supplied can be used. Unless otherwise agreed, data should only be used, for its original purpose, for 12 months. If you still need the data after this point or if you want to use the data for another purpose (e.g. work on a different site or project) you will need to request a new data search.

Can I share the records with others?

More information on how the data provided can and cannot be used is found in our terms and conditions. If you share the data with colleagues you will need to make sure they also abide by the these terms. As records of sensitive species are included it is extremely important that any information from us is not shared publically. As such it should be included in any resulting ecological reports only as a clearly marked confidential appendix which is not published on the planning portal. This helps to protect wildlife from those who might wish to cause harm.

What information is provided against each record?

The following fields are provided against each record within the search. You can filter records in the excel file using these criteria.

Field Explanation
Species or taxon Most records are species level, with some exceptions.
Location A description of where the record was made.
Grid reference Grid references are provided at their original precision - locations of sensitive species are not masked so information must be treated confidentially.
Date The date the record was made.
Abundance This information is provided if available, sometimes it is not available and will default to 'Present'. Please be aware when interpreting data that we do hold 'Negative' records, for example from eDNA surveys.
Sex/stage Sex and life stage information is provided if available. If not available this will default to 'None' or 'Not recorded'
Record type This details the method or type of record for example 'Sighting' or 'Gall'.
Designation Designation information is provided if relevant to the species or taxon.

You can find more information on what may be included in the record fields here

Where can I get information on Cheshire West & Chester Local Wildife sites and Cheshire citations?

We don't provide this information, but it is available from Cheshire Wildlife Trust (contact provided with quote or on request).

Can you provide habitat data?

We don't routinely provide this as it is something we are working on at the moment but currently we only have an incomplete dataset. However please enquire to find out what is available. Information on Priority Habitats is available from Magic.

RECORD - Local Environmental Records Centre,
Cedar House,
Caughall Road,
Chester,
CH2 1LH

01244 383749
info@record-lrc.co.uk
Charity number: 1095859
Company number: 04046886
VAT number: 455 8632 62

An ALERC member

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