Bat Survey, Bedfordshire: Protected Species Surveys
What is a Bat Survey?
Bat activity surveys are undertaken for development sites to inform a planning application and determine presence of bats within buildings, trees and structures. The local planning authorities will usually let you know if a bat survey is required during the planning process. Bat species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
A bat survey will detect the presence or likely absence of bats in a particular area so that plans can be made to proceed with a development. If bats are found to be present on a site, bat mitigation and compensation measures must be undertaken before any planning permission is granted and development work can begin. These measures may range from bat boxes to roost relocation depending on the impact the development will have on the bats.
There are many bat species of bat which are likely to be found in Bedfordshire. These include, common pipistrelle bat, Noctule bat, soprano pipistrelle bat, Daubentons’ bat, Whiskered bat, Brandt’s’ bat and Nathusius’ pipistrelle bat.
Bat Survey, Bedfordshire: Bat Activity
In Bedfordshire, bat activity is highest during the summer months. Therefore, surveys can be undertaken during this time of year to determine the presence of roosting bats and the number of bat groups in the area. If bat activity is found during a bat survey in the summer months, a bat activity survey may be required during the winter to establish whether the area is also used by hibernating bats.
Types of Bat Survey, Bedfordshire
Preliminary Roost Assessment: A Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) is an initial survey or assessment conducted to determine whether bats are likely to be roosting in a specific building or structure. This assessment is an important first step in the process of assessing the potential impact of development or renovation projects on bat populations and their roosting sites. PRAs are typically carried out by ecological consultants or bat specialists and are often required as part of the planning process in the UK due to the legal protections afforded to bats.
Our consultants will carry out an internal and external inspection of the building looking for evidence of bat roosts, including insect feeding remains and bat droppings.
Nocturnal bat surveys: A nocturnal bat survey is a type of ecological survey conducted during the nighttime 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 assessments, conservation efforts, and impact assessments related to development projects.
Our consultants use bat detectors to record and analyse calls without disturbing the bats. They will be either dusk emergence surveys (when bats are leaving their roosts to forage) or dawn surveys (the end of the night out when all the bats return back to their roosts).
How Can Collington Winter Assist?
Collington Winter Environmental are a team of ecological consultants with extensive experience in environmental management and undertaking bat and hibernating bat surveys on all types of development projects and can meet any bat survey requirements. Our Ecology Director, Olivia Collington, holds a Natural England Bat licence, and has worked with protected species across the UK alongside Bedfordshire bat surveyors and bat conservation trusts.
Please contact our Ecology Director Olivia Collington (Olivia.collington@collingtonwinter.co.uk) for more information on our ecological services and protected habitats and species survey work, including bat surveys and great crested newt surveys. We also provide ecological appraisal and assessment services.
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