Bat Survey County Durham: Protected Species Surveys
Bat surveys are undertaken for development sites to inform a planning permission application and determine presence of bats within a structure or tree. The local planning authority will usually let you know if a bat survey is required.
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, mitigation and compensation measures must be undertaken before any development work can begin.
In County Durham, bat activity is highest during the summer months. Therefore, surveys should be carried out during this time to determine the presence of roosting bats. If bat activity is found during a bat survey in the summer months, a bat hibernation survey may be required during the winter to establish whether the area is also used by hibernating bats.
Bat Survey County Durham: Types of Bat Survey
Preliminary Roost Assessment: This is the first step in the bat surveying process which involves an ecologist carrying out a site visit. They will carry out an internal and external inspection of the building looking for evidence of bats, including insect feeding remains and bat droppings.
Nocturnal bat surveys: This involves surveyors using bat detectors to record and analyse bat calls. They will be either dusk emergence surveys (when bats are leaving their roosts to forage) or dawn re-entry 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 undertaking bat and hibernating bat surveys on all types of bat conservation projects. Our Ecology Director, Olivia Collington, holds a Natural England Bat licence, and has worked with protected species across the North East.
Please get in touch with our Ecology Director Olivia Collington (Olivia.collington@collingtonwinter.co.uk) for more information on protected species surveys. We also provide preliminary ecological appraisals and assessment services.
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