Bat Survey Bedford: Protected Species

Bat surveys should be included in a project development plan to address ecological concerns regarding bats within a planning application. A survey will identify the presence of bats within buildings, trees, and structures on and surrounding a project site. Local planning authorities will usually notify you if a bat survey is a required step during the planning process and have published guidelines to follow when performing any ecological surveys. The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations was introduced in 2017 to protect species on all sites across the UK, especially those at risk of project development impacts.

All bat species, their chosen breeding sites, and roost sites are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If bats reside on a site, it is illegal to deliberately harm, injure or obstruct access to bat roosts by damaging a bat’s habitat. Therefore, Bat mitigation and compensation measures are crucial to a project which wants to land with an environmentally positive impact.

Preliminary Roost Assessment:  A Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) should be conducted initially to determine whether bats are likely to be roosting in a specific building or structure, for example, surveying a loft area for potential bats when wanting to complete a loft conversion.

This assessment is an important first step in the process of assessing the potential impact of project development on bat species on the site and in the area. Our consultants will excavate the internal areas of a site, followed by an external inspection, and record any evidence of bat roosting at the time, including insect-feeding remains and bat droppings.

Bat emergence and re-entry surveys: If necessary, after a preliminary roost survey, a bat emergence survey or a re-entry survey will typically be performed to monitor further bat activity, such as monitoring entry and exit points to provide information on the location, species, and population of the bats.

These surveys are carried out on multiple occasions over a period of time to collect a substantial range of data and encourage accurate results. Bat consultants use bat detectors to monitor bat activity without causing unnecessary disturbance to the bats.

Nocturnal bat surveys: A nocturnal bat survey is an ecological survey conducted at night to observe and record bat species’ activity and behaviour. These surveys are essential for monitoring bat populations, identifying species, and assessing their habitats. Nocturnal bat surveys are often carried out as part of ecological impact assessments and conservation efforts related to development projects.

Collington Winter’s ecologist team hold Natural England bat licences and European Protected Species licenses, working with licenced bat surveyors and bat conservation trusts to protect endangered species across the UK that may be impacted by new project developments.

Please contact our Managing Director, Olivia Collington (info@collingtonwinter.co.uk) for more information on our ecological services and Bedford bat survey work, including bat surveys and Great Crested newt surveys. We also provide preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA) and assessment services.