Bat Survey, Cambridgeshire: Protected Species Surveys
What is a Bat Survey?
Bat activity surveys are required for some developments to assist with planning applications during the planning permission process to find out whether the planned development proposals could impact bats in the area. Typically, the local authority, registered in England, will let you know whether or not a bat survey is required. The need to undertake bat ecological surveys could also be identified during a PEA survey.
Bat surveys and tree surveys detect the presence or absence of bats within the development area (such as barn conversions) so that the planning and development process can proceed. If the survey finds that there is evidence of bats in close proximity to a site, compensation and bat mitigation measures must be undertaken before any development work is permitted to proceed.
These measures are required as bats, and bat roosts, are protected species under the Wildlife and countryside Act 1981, and they are also a European protected species under UK and European Legislation. Therefore, it is illegal to kill, harm or disturb bats in any way.
Bat Survey, Cambridgeshire: Bat Activity
The active season for bats in Cambridgeshire is at its peak during the summer months. Therefore, this is the best time of year to carry out roost survey work to determine the presence of roosting bats.
The many species of bat that are likely to be found in Cambridgeshire are Natterer’s bats, Daubenton’s bats, Whiskered bats, Brandt’s bats, and Common Pipistrelle bats.
Types of Bat Survey, Cambridgeshire
There are two types of bat surveys which can help you to discover whether signs of bats are present. The first ecological service is a preliminary roost assessment which involves an Ecology Consultancy carrying out a site visit. They will carry out both an internal and external inspection of the building, looking for evidence of roosting bats, including insect feeding remains as well as bat droppings.
The second type are nocturnal bat emergence surveys. Emergence and re-entry surveys involve surveyors using bat detectors to record and analyse bat calls. These surveyors will operate either when bats are leaving their roosts to forage (dusk emergence surveys) or when the bats return to their roosts (dawn re-entry surveys) to determine the number of bats.
How Can Collington Winter Assist?
Collington Winter Environmental, we are an experienced team of ecological consultants with extensive knowledge in undertaking bat and hibernating bat surveys using good practice guidelines. Our Ecology Director, Olivia Collington, holds a Natural England bat licence, amongst many other protected species licences, and has worked with protected species throughout the UK.
We assist in all types of development projects, such as large-scale housing developments as well as mineral and commercial developments.
Please get in touch with our Ecology Director Olivia Collington via email (Olivia.collington@collingtonwinter.co.uk) for information on cost effective protected species surveys, such as bats and great crested newts. We offer extended phase 1 habitat surveys, ecological survey, and assessment services for many types of protected species.
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