Initial work was undertaken during 2005/6 by the West of England Green Infrastructure Group.  The preliminary phase of work, funded by the Countryside Agency, involved initial mapping of GI in the West of England, a preliminary identification of a GI strategy for the Sub Region, and developed a preliminary methodology for tackling areas with GI deficiency and new development sites. 

The contract for undertaking this work was awarded after a process of open competitive tendering to a Consortium of Forest of Avon, Avon Wildlife Trust, and Bristol Region Environmental Records Centre (BRERC).