Bat Survey Derbyshire: Protected Species Surveys

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 for planning permission 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 present on a site, bat mitigation and compensation measures must be undertaken before any 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 species of bat which are likely to be found in Derbyshire. These include, common pipistrelle bat, Noctule bat, soprano pipistrelle bat, Daubentons’ bat, Whiskered bat, Brandt’s’ bat and Nathusius’ pipistrelle bat.

In Derbyshire, bat activity is highest during the summer months. Therefore, this is the best time to complete a bat survey to determine the presence of roosting bats and the number of bats 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.