1. Check Your Location
SERC covers the administrative county of Somerset.
- Outside our area: For North Somerset or Bath & North East Somerset, please contact the Bristol Environmental Records Centre.
- Not sure? Use our Area Search Tool to verify your site.
2. How to Request Data
We use MyLERC for most data requests. Before you start, please review our Data Access Policy. SERC no longer processes payments directly. All billing and invoicing is done through MyLERC, pricing for the searches are available on the MyLERC website, along with the supplier details.
Use the MyLERC Service for:
- Commercial: Ecological/Planning consultants and Developers. (EWCO applications are commercial not landowner).
- Landowners: For personal use, landowners receive a list of species found on their land (Agents must use the Commercial option).
- Parish Councils: To assist with Parish Plans.
Note: Parish Councils must contact us at data.supply@somerc.com before submitting a request. Landowners may be asked to supply Land Registry title number or plan.
Why use MyLERC?
- Fast Turnaround: typically within 2 hours of confirmation (99% of submissions) but no more than 2 days (less than 1% of submissions).
- Full Control: The ability to filter data by a number of parameters to suit your needs. The ability to create your own maps as required.
- Transparent Pricing: See the cost update in real-time as you build your package.
- Easy Accounts: If you have a MyLERC account with another record centre, it will work here too.
3. Other Request Types
Academic Research Ideal for students or researchers looking into specific species or taxonomic groups. These are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Please review our Academic Data Request Policy (Updated Dec 2025).
- Submit your request using the Academic Data Search Form (Updated Dec 2025).
Non-Commercial (Public) If you are simply curious about what is living in your garden or local town, we can provide this data free of charge.
- How to request: Email data.supply@somerc.com.
- Format: You will receive an Excel spreadsheet list of species.
- Note: This data is not suitable for planning applications.
Questions? If you have any queries, please reach out to Ellen at data.supply@somerc.com.