Why Do You Need a Bat Survey?
Due to recent declines in bat numbers, all species of British bats and their roosts are fully protected under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Activities that can affect bats include:
Renovating, converting or demolishing a building​​
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Cutting down or removing branches from a mature tree​​
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Repairing or replacing a roof
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Repointing brickwork​
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Insulating or converting a loft​​
Installing lighting in a roost, or outside if it lights up the entrance to the roost
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Removing ‘commuting habitats’ like hedgerows, watercourses or woodland
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Changing or removing bats foraging areas
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Using insecticides or treating timber
You can be fined or imprisoned for up to six months if you don’t abide by the laws regarding bat welfare. It is a criminal offence to:
Deliberately capture, injure or kill bats
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Damage or destroy a breeding or resting place
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Obstruct access to their resting or sheltering places
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Possess, sell, control or transport live or dead bats, or parts of them
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Intentionally or recklessly disturb a bat while it’s in a structure or place of shelter or protection
Our team of bat specialists can talk through your project and advise on the best course of action with any bat surveys, licences or applications you may require.
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When to Carry Out a Survey
Bat surveys involve two phases of work. The first stage of the process, a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) is designed to assess a building, structure or tree’s suitability for bats. This survey will also identify any direct evidence of bats (droppings/obvious presence). The second stage involves dusk emergence surveys, which are designed to establish both the presence or absence of bats, the species that are using the roost and how they use it.
​A PRA can be conducted throughout the year. However, emergence surveys can only take place between May and September, when weather conditions are suitable, and must be conducted at least three weeks apart in accordance with the Bat Conservation Trust Good Practice Guidelines. Many developers are now undertaking bat surveys as a matter of course to prevent construction being delayed. It is important to contact us as soon as you believe your development may have bats, or any other protected species in the vicinity. The separate phases of surveys and data collection can take a considerable amount of time to compile.
The sooner you get in touch, the quicker we can work with you to produce the necessary surveys and reports.
Take a look at our survey calendar for more information.
Tree Climbing Surveys
Surveying tree roosts from the ground can be difficult, here at Pioneer Environment we are able to offer tree climbing surveys. These detailed surveys yield extremely accurate data regarding the presence or absence of bats and can be conducted at almost any time of the year. Tree climbing surveys may alleviate the need for dusk emergence surveys and can prevent delays imposed by the timing of such surveys.
Surveying trees for bats is highly specialised work and our team at Pioneer Environment is experienced in both tree-climbing and ground-based surveying. Where a high level of impact is likely on a site (usually relating to large scale developments) a combination of mist netting, harp trapping and radio-tracking surveys may also be required. These surveys need to be conducted by specialist licensed and experienced bat ecologists.
Get in touch to find out more about bats and planning. Read more information provided by the Bat Conservation Trust.
About Bats
In the UK we currently have 18 species of bat, and all bar one species are known to be breeding here. Different species have different roost requirements, including trees, caves, lofts, and behind roof tiles, and will move between multiple roosting sites throughout the year.
Even though bat species account for more than a quarter of the mammals in the UK, they are all classified as either a vulnerable or endangered species and need our protection. Major threats to the bat species in the UK include loss of habitat, diminished food sources, destruction of roosts, diseases, and intentional killing of bats.
For more information on bat activity surveys, download our factsheet.
