Bat Survey Medway: Protected Species Surveys

A bat survey, Medway, will be used in project planning to address bat-related concerns during the planning permission application process. Undertaking a bat survey can help to determine whether bats are present in buildings, structures, or trees on a particular development site.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all species of bat from human harm. This protection extends to their breeding and roosting sites, regardless of where they may be. It is important to be aware that if bats are present on a site, it is illegal to deliberately harm or injure bats or obstruct access to their roosts or habitats. Therefore, risk prevention strategies are essential to ensure an environmentally responsible development process which supports any bats that are implicated.

Preliminary Roost Assessment: A Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) is typically the first assessment undertaken to determine whether bats are likely to be present on a site. This step can also provide an understanding of the scale of impact a project development may have on any bat species residing on-site and in the area.

Bat emergence and re-entry surveys: If a PRA determines that roosting bats could be present, a bat emergence survey or a re-entry survey will typically be performed to monitor further bat activity in and around potenial bat roosts. This includes monitoring entry and exit points to provide a more in-depth record of the bats.

Our experienced bat ecology consultants use specialist bat detectors to monitor bat activity in a non-intrusive manner over multiple site visits, minimising any disturbance to the bats.

Nocturnal bat surveys: This type of survey observes and records bat species’ activity and behaviour during the night, as bat activity is predominantly nocturnal. In summary, these surveys are beneficial for monitoring bat populations, identifying species, and assessing their habitats.

At Collington Winter Environmental, we provide expert services to meet the ecological needs of each client. Our ecological advisors are licensed by Natural England and hold European Protected Species licenses. We build relationships with bat conservation trusts and project developers nationwide to keep endangered species at the forefront of our efforts, all whilst supporting an efficient planning application process.

Our team (info@collingtonwinter.co.uk), is happy to provide more information on our wide range of protected species survey work, including bat surveys, water vole surveys and great crested newt surveys. We also provide preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA) and assessment services.