Bat Survey Gloucestershire: Protected Species Surveys
Bat surveys are undertaken for development sites to inform a planning application for planning permission and the determine presence of bats within a structure or tree. The local planning authority will usually let you know if a bat survey is required during the planning process.
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 proposal. If bats are found to be present on a site, mitigation and compensation measures must be undertaken before any development work can begin.
There are many bat species that are likely to be found in Gloucestershire. These include common pipistrelle bat, Noctule bat, soprano pipistrelle bat, Daubentons’ bat, Whiskered bat, Brandt’s’ bat, Nathusius’ pipistrelle bat, as well as lesser horseshoe and greater horseshoe bats.
In Gloucestershire, 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 West Gloucestershire: 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 bat roosts, 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 surveys on all types of bat conservation projects. Our Ecology Director, Olivia Collington, holds a Natural England Bat licence, and has worked with European protected species across Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean.
Please contact our Ecology Director Olivia Collington (Olivia.collington@collingtonwinter.co.uk) for more information on ecological surveys and our ecological service. We also provide preliminary ecological appraisals and assessment services.
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