Bat Survey for Planning – Best Price for Bat Surveys

This page of our web site is intended to inform readers about what a Bat Survey actually is and costs. Better still, further down you can read about our Money Back Guarantee for our Bat Survey initial assessments. Watch the video or read on down to find out what a Bat Survey is and costs.

Bat Survey: Money Back Guarantee

At Arbtech we have an enormous wealth of experience when it comes to providing a Bat Survey for planning purposes. This is why, for our Scoping Bat Survey service, as well as being fast, efficient and unbeatable value at £329, we guarantee that your local planning authority will accept our report, so you never have to worry.

Bat Survey FAQs

Why undertake a Bat Survey? Bats are a European protected species; this means that as part of the planning process in the UK, they require a Natural England license to disturb them, or their habitat (bat roosts and other features bats use for foraging and commuting). At Arbtech, our bat consultants are Natural England and Countryside Council for Wales licensed, so are able to undertake your Bat Survey, throughout the UK.

Do I need to undertake a Bat Survey to get planning permission? As it is a criminal offence to disturb or handle a bat without a license from Natural England, it is vital that developers and domestic individuals ensure that appropriate Bat Survey exercises and reports are produced prior to submitting a planning application. Most of the time, local planning authorities will insist that an initial Bat Survey, often called a “Scoping Bat Survey,” is undertaken prior to validating or determining your application. This bat survey is undertaken to BCT guidelines.

What do we look for in a bat survey?

Three things, principally:

• Bats. No further explanation necessary (we hope!)
• Evidence of bat activity. So, things like droppings, dead bat carcasses and skeletons, prey remains, amongst other indicators.
• Habitat value. This is graded against criteria laid down by the Bat Conservation Trust in their guidance publication, Bat Surveys–Good Practice Guidelines (BCT 2007). The criteria inform an assessment which classifies the habitat value from “negligible,” through to “very high.” Things that contribute to a high habitat score are commonly e.g. features suitable for roosting, local to known roosts, and strong linear features connecting the site to foraging habitat.

Had a Bat Survey done? Need help with the next steps?

Use the link on the right hand side of the page, if you’re seeking more information and video clips about ‘emergence’ Bat Survey works and mitigation.

Brief clip during a recent Bat Survey [regularly updated]

In the video below, renowned licensed Bat Survey consultant and senior surveyor at Arbtech, Martin O’Connor, shows a developer two bat droppings found in a barn during a recent survey, and then stumbles upon a whole pile! This is clear evidence that bats are using the property, as a roost of some description. So, further Bat Survey works, termed ‘emergence surveys’ will be necessary, to determine the species and numbers of bats. Once this has been scientifically demonstrated in our report to the Local Authority, bat mitigation can be designed and the planning application progressed.

Information about British Bats

There are 18 species of bat in the UK, of which 17 are known to be breeding. Recent and historic bat surveys indicate that almost all British species of bat are in decline, with only the most abundant species, the common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus showing any sign of recovery. Largely, opinion concludes this is due to sustained periods of habitat loss to development. To counteract this problem, recognized by lawmakers around 30 years ago, all bat species are fully and legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 through their inclusion in Schedule V. All UK species of bat are also included in Annex II of the Habitats Regulations 2010; which transpose the

EC Habitats Directive, where European protected species of animals are defined. Amongst other things, the combined legislation makes it illegal to: intentionally or deliberately kill, injure or capture bats, deliberately disturb bats, whether at roost or not, and damage, destroy or obstruct access to bat roosts.

A Bat Roost is usually identified during a Bat Survey and is interpreted as ‘any structure or place, which any wild bat uses for shelter or protection’ (BCT 2007). Bats tend to re-use the same roosts; therefore, legal opinion is that the roost is protected whether or not the bats are present at the time. They can be summer roosts, used for breeding and feeding, or winter roosts, used for hibernating. Does you building have access to valuable features for roosting?

Bat surveys giving you a headache?

Many of our customers would tell you they’ve had a Bat Survey from other consultants in the past. However, they’ll also tell you what a relief it was to work with Arbtech. If you would like to see our testimonials, simply visit our home page and scroll down to the very bottom right hand corner of the screen.

Arbtech employs three licensed Bat Survey ecologists who are experts in the field of bat species ecology and planning. We are always happy to chat about planning application and bats, so why not give us a call? To talk to a professional about getting a Bat Survey report produced, call 08450 176950.

References:

Bat Conservation Trust (2007). Bat Surveys—Good Practice Guidelines. Bat Conservation Trust, London.

Prices quoted are inclusive of traveling expenses, valid until April 2012 and exclusive of VAT.