Bat Survey Bishop Auckland: Protected Species

The requirement for a bat survey in a project development aims to address ecological concerns for bats, which more often than not, suffer disturbances during project construction. A survey will identify and mitigate the risk for bats present within buildings, trees, and additional structures on and surrounding a project site.

Local planning authorities will typically inform you if a bat survey is required during a planning process and have published guidelines to follow when performing 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 negative impact from a nearby development.

All bat species, their chosen breeding sites, and roost sites are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This declares that if bats reside on a site, it is illegal to deliberately harm, injure or obstruct any habitat access. Therefore, to avoid local authoritative disciplinary action, bat mitigation and compensation measures are necessary when seeking a planning permission grant to avoid delay in project development.

Preliminary Roost Assessment:  A Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) is an initial assessment to determine whether bats are likely to be roosting in a specific building or structure that belongs to the proposed development site.

This assessment is an important first step in determining the potential impact of project development on bat species on the site and in the area. Our consultants will excavate a site’s internal areas, including the inside of buildings and structures, followed by an external inspection of surrounding trees and greenery and record any evidence of roosting bats such as insect-feeding remains and bat excrement.

Bat emergence and re-entry surveys: After a Preliminary roost survey, a bat emergence or re-entry survey will typically be performed at dawn and dusk to monitor further bat activity. Monitoring entry and exit points will provide information on the bats’ location, species, and population.

These surveys are carried out on multiple morning and evening occasions to collect a substantial range of data and encourage accurate results. The consultants we provide use bat protective technology to prevent unnecessary disturbances to the bats.

Nocturnal bat surveys: A nocturnal bat survey is conducted at night to observe and record bat species’ nighttime activity and behaviour. These surveys are essential for monitoring bat populations, identifying species, and assessing their habitats with a closer eye. Nocturnal bat surveys are a great assessment for collecting data as all bats in the UK are nocturnal, meaning they tend to only produce echolocation sounds in the dark; this allows for the best indication of their behaviour and activity to be recorded during the night.

Collington Winter is an environmental and ecology consultancy based in Greater Manchester. Our 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 new project developments may impact.

Please contact our Managing Director, Olivia Collington (info@collingtonwinter.co.uk) for more information on our ecological services and Bishop Auckland bat survey work, including Great Crested newt surveys. We also provide preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA) and assessment services.  To speak to one of the team directly, don’t hesitate to contact us on 01204 939608.

We also specialise in advising on biodiversity net gain requirements for any development, which is now a mandatory consideration as part of any planning permission process.  To find out more, please consider the guidance provided here.