Bats

All 17 British bat species are fully protected under domestic and EU legislation. It is an offence to kill, injure, capture or disturb a bat, or to destroy a bat roost or obstruct access to a roost whether bats are present or not.

Bats roost in a variety of places including buildings, bridges, trees and underground structures.

A Preliminary Roost Assessment of structures is typically undertaken first to indicate habitat suitability and allow for evidence of use of the structure by bats to be provided.

If evidence of use is found, presence/absence surveys and an impact assessment may be required. Presence/absence are seasonally constrained, so it is best to plan surveys in advance to avoid delays to your development project. If a bat survey and impact assessment shows that a development will affect bats, it may be necessary to obtain a European Protected Species licence or register the site under the Bat Low Impact Class Licensing scheme from Natural England before the work can commence. 

Where required, our staff are fully licensed and experienced in advanced survey technioques such as harp trapping, mist netting and radio tracking.

Get in touch with Bernwood to discuss your requirements.