Bat Survey Ceredigion: Protected Species

Ceredigion is a haven for many bat species, and so any new project developments must undergo a bat survey to identify any presence of bats within buildings, trees, and structures on and surrounding the project site.

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. Furthermore, all bat species, their chosen breeding sites, and roost sites have been legally protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act since 1981. As a result of such significant legislation, Welsh local authorities, such as Ceredigion County Council, are inclined to notify you if a bat survey is required during the planning application process.

Preliminary Roost Assessment: A Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) is an initial ecological survey to establish whether bat roosts are likely to be situated on a site.

This assessment is crucial in the process of assessing the potential impact of project development on bat species on the site and in the area. Our consultants will complete survey work, such as an examination of the internal and external areas of a site and record any evidence of roosting bats.

Bat emergence and re-entry surveys: If necessary, after a PRA, a bat emergence survey or a re-entry survey will be performed to monitor the bats with a closer eye to provide more information on the bat’s behaviour, including breeding and feeding rituals.

At Collington Winter, our consultants use up-to-date bat protective technology such as thermal imaging cameras and bat detectors to limit unnecessary disturbance to the bats.

Nocturnal bat surveys: As all bat species in the UK are nocturnal, recordings of echolocation sounds are primarily noticeable at night. A nocturnal bat survey can provide sufficient data on the bat’s behaviour and habitat usage at their most active time.

Collington Winter is an environmental consultancy comprised of licenced protected species surveyors. We work alongside bat conservation trusts to protect endangered species across England and Wales. Our ecological consultants hold Natural England bat licences and European Protected Species licenses, which are beneficial in supporting our work.

Please contact our Managing Director, Olivia Collington (info@collingtonwinter.co.uk) for more information on our ecological services, including badger surveys. We also provide Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) services and Landscape architectural services.