Bat Surveys: Protecting Biodiversity in Your Project

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Bats may be a consideration for your project if you have buildings, trees or hedgerows. 

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All bats, their roosts and some foraging areas are protected under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) – meaning it is an offence to kill, injure or disturb a bat and to destroy any place it uses for rest or shelter.  

Currently, 18 species of bat are known to be present in the United Kingdom, 17 of these are known to be breeding. Bats may roost in trees or buildings and typically have different roosts for different times of the year. They also use hedgerows and tree lines as important foraging or commuting corridors. Spotting these features early (whether or not a bat is present at the time) is key to the smooth running of any project and avoids fines.  

If you have buildings or trees on site, your works may be at risk of causing an offence and your project may be delayed by not submitting the correct survey information with your planning application.  

HalpinRobbins can provide quick and reliable advice on the level of risk, and licensing routes available to you, and have experienced ecologists capable of conducting a range of bat surveys in England and Wales; each survey is tailored to meet our clients' needs and project requirements. Contact us now for a no-obligation chat.  

Overview of Surveys 

Phase 1 Survey 

The first step is to determine if bats are likely to be present on site. These surveys can be undertaken as "stand alone" Preliminary Roost Inspection (PRA) or as part of a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) or Ground Level Tree Assessment (GLTA). These can be undertaken at any time of year to find the level of “roosting potential” of a site.  

If a site offers potential for bats, further surveys may be required. The number of surveys needed is determined by how much potential a site has. The presence of older buildings, watercourses, meadows, grassland, woodland, hedgerow, scrub, or trees increases the likelihood that a bat survey will be required in some form. 

Bats are European Protected Species, and all surveys must be undertaken by suitably experienced and licensed surveyors.  

Bat Surveys  

Bat surveys are varied, to capture the different roost types of the many different species and may be repeated several times over the survey season. 

Surveys may comprise dusk emergence and/or pre-dawn re-entry surveys. These are seasonally constrained to May to the end of September and involve looking for known or suspected roosting sites.  

Nighttime bat walkover surveys and automated static monitoring are seasonally constrained to between April and the end of October and typically are used to confirm activity and connectivity within a landscape.  

For more complicated survey techniques such as trapping and tracking bats, please get in touch to see how we can assist.  

Hibernation Surveys  

Hibernation surveys involve close inspections of potential roosting locations of places where bats are suspected of hibernating. This may include cellars, ice caves, trees, churches and some buildings.  

These surveys are seasonally constrained to November to the end of March and may require multiple visits.   

HalpinRobbins can assess the presence, absence and potential for bat species which can be used to inform decisions on land purchase, developments and project works, impact assessments and, where necessary, to obtain an appropriate wildlife licence.  

If you are interested in re-wildling your land or would like to learn more about how to enhance your site or local area for bats, we would love to discuss your plans.   

More information about all species of bat within the United Kingdom can be found at the Bat Conservation Trust. 

For a better idea about our projects and work involving bats see our case studies or feel free to contact us.