These two acquisitions are the first by the company in the current financial year and follow on from the 12 acquisitions during the 2018/2019 financial year, which saw it expanded its workforce from about 2,000 staff to more than 3,000.

Biocensus is an ecological consultancy with a network of more than 700 highly skilled and experienced UK-based ecologists. The company has offices in Bath and Stroud in the UK, and works on a wide range of projects with a focus on large infrastructure developments. Biocensus delivers ecological services to the business community at the strategic and project levels. It provides guidance and support on the development of biodiversity footprinting at the corporate strategic level and project-specific work such as surveys, ecological impact assessments, protected species surveys, mitigation measures and monitoring.

The existing Biocensus ecological services will merge with RSK's ecological division to form RSK Biocensus. Stephanie Wray, chair of Biocensus, will lead the integrated business under the direction of RSK environment and planning divisional director Sarah Mogford.

Biocensus' current workload focuses primarily on large infrastructure projects. As a major supplier of ecologists to rail projects, the company uses its national network of quality-assured ecologists to respond rapidly to requirements as they arise.

Consents Solutions has bases in Cambridge and King's Lynn, UK, and specialises in managing the complete consents process for utility and renewable installation processes, from route identification and feasibility studies through to landowner consent completion and infrastructure consent applications. The company will become part of RSK's agriculture, land and property management division. Richard Spooner, managing director of Consents Solutions, will lead the business under the direction of RSK director Ian Strudwick.

"Biocensus and Consents Solutions are two fantastic businesses with their clients' needs at their hearts," said RSK's founder and CEO Alan Ryder. "Biocensus' team of passionate ecologists offers a pragmatic and high-quality ecological resource and helps clients to achieve their development objectives. Consents Solutions is an established and renowned service provider within the energy sector with a proven track record of delivery. Both businesses will extend RSK's service offering, so I am delighted to welcome them aboard."

Stephanie Wray, chair of the board of Biocensus, said: "We are delighted to be joining RSK at this exciting time for UK infrastructure projects. The discipline of ecology has never been more in demand or high profile in the delivery of sustainable development. I believe that the combination of RSK's large team of in-house ecologists and Biocensus' unrivalled supplier network will be game changing."

"Joining the RSK group will give Consents Solutions a major platform and the support to increase the size of its business within the consenting sector," remarked managing director, Richard Spooner. "I am excited at the opportunity and look forward to the synergies created between our businesses."