Can I get a Bat Survey near me?

How Much Does a Bat Survey Cost?

Why have I been asked for a Bat Survey?

What is a Preliminary Roost Assessment?

What is a Preliminary Roost Assessment for Trees?

How Long Does a Preliminary Roost Assessment Take?

What is a Bat Emergence Survey?

When can Bat Surveys be undertaken?

I know I have bats, do I need a Preliminary Roost Assessment, or can I skip straight to an emergence survey?

How many Bat Emergence Surveys do I need?

When can bat mitigation be undertaken?

What happens if I have bats?

How are Bats protected?

How long is a Bat Survey For Planning valid For?

Do you undertake Bird Surveys?

What type of bats are found in the UK?

What type of Bat Roosts are there?

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Can I get a Bat Survey near me?

Our Main office is in Derby, however since the covid lockdowns we have discovered working remotely is the most cost efficient way to deliver our bat surveys. We have offices across the Midlands in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. However, we regularly undertake bat surveys outside of these areas from the North-West to the South-East covering the entire nation with our competitive pricing. 

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How Much Does a Bat Survey Cost?

Our Preliminary Roost Assessments start at £299 + VAT. Our Emergence Surveys start at £599.00 Plus VAT. Costs vary based upon the survey detail/effort required, estimated time on site, distance to the site, etc. Where required, bat records from Local Record Centres can cost approximately £100 + VAT, and DNA testing costs from £100 + VAT.  Our Quotes are inclusive of all costs, mileage and any other expenses, so there are no hidden fees. 

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Why have I been asked for a Bat Survey?

Bats are fully protected by UK and EU Legislation, therefore if your planning project is considered to directly or indirectly impact areas of known bat roosts and/or within areas of bat potential, there is a risk of harming protected bats, their roosts and thus an infringement of the law. As bats are a material consideration at planning, they cannot be conditioned, therefore a Preliminary Roost Assessment and/or emergence survey/s are required to confirm likely absence of bats on your site before planning can be granted. 

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What is a Preliminary Roost Assessment?

A Preliminary Roost Assessment of a structure (also known as an Initial Bat Survey, Bat Roost Assessment, or Bat Scoping Survey), is a daytime inspection in accordance with the Bat Conservation Trust: Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists 4th Edition (2023) of the exterior (walls, roofs, etc) and interior (lofts, voids, cellars, etc) of a structure by a licensed bat ecologist to look for Potential Roost Features (PRA's) that bats could use as entry/exit points, roosting and to search for signs and evidence of roosting bats. The aim of a Preliminary Roost Assessment is to determine the actual and/or potential presence of bats and whether there is a need for emergence survey/s and/or mitigation. It is important to note that a lack of obvious bat evidence does not always equate to a lack of bat roosting potential. If your structure has no evidence or features assessed to be suitable to support a potential bat roost, then you will not require any further bat surveys. Once the site Preliminary Roost Assessment has been completed, the Licensed Bat Ecologist will compile a professional bat survey report tailored for planning categorising the results and potential of the structure, detailing any further survey's or mitigation where required.  Within this report, a desktop study will be undertaken which involves checking for any designated sites and priority habitat within 2km of the site. Depending on the scale of the proposed works, bat records from a Local Ecological Record Centre may also be required. Where evidence such as bat droppings are recorded, these can be collected and tested for bat eDNA by Bat Survey For Planning at our local laboratory to provide further information of potential active bat roost species in support of any mitigation required.

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What is a Preliminary Roost Assessment for Trees?

A Preliminary Roost Assessment for trees follows similar methodology as for structure's above. During a Preliminary Roost Tree Assessment, the tree/s are checked for potential roost features from the ground by a licensed bat ecologist and categorised according to their bat roost potential and evidence.

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How Long Does a Preliminary Roost Assessment Take?

A Preliminary Roost Assessment of a typical single residential structure can take between 1 to 2 hours externally and approximately 0.5 - 1 hour internally. Its important to note that internal access to lofts is required and therefore someone will need to be present to let us in / unlock any gates. Large and or multiple old buildings and trees can vary in time required, but we will inform you of our estimated duration of time on site prior to attending. 

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What is a Bat Emergence Survey?

If the Preliminary Roost Assessment finds evidence or potential for bat roosts within a structure or Tree and these will be impacted by the proposed works; then bat emergence surveys (aka Bat Activity Surveys) will be required. The aim of Bat Emergence Surveys is to confirm likely absence or prove presence of a bat roost and then to characterise the type of roost present. Bat Emergence Surveys are undertaken by one or more bat surveyors in the evenings (at least 15 minutes before sunset until 1.5 - 2 hrs after sunset). During this time, the structure or tree is monitored by surveyors using specialised bat detectors and visual night aids such as infra-red and thermal imaging cameras to identify any active bat roost locations and type of species and roost present. 

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When can Bat Surveys be undertaken?

Preliminary Roost Assessments can be undertaken all year round. They need to be undertaken in the daylight and when visibility of the structure or tree is not obscured by weather such as fog or snow.

Bat Emergence Surveys can only be undertaken between May and September starting before the end of August. Multiple surveys must be spaced apart at least 3 weeks and avoid strong wind, heavy rain and low temperatures. 

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I know I have bats, do I need a Preliminary Roost Assessment, or can I skip straight to an emergence survey?

The council will always want to see that an inspection of the building has been undertaken to record potential entry/exit points, roost features, details and type of evidence to date. In these circumstance we recommend undertaking a preliminary roost assessment on the same day as an emergence survey. Allowing us to undertake both surveys on the same day will save time, reduce the cost of your surveys significantly and allow us to compile the bat surveys into a single report, further reducing costs. 

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How many Bat Emergence Surveys do I need?

The number of Bat Emergence Surveys required is based on guidance laid down by the Bat Conservation Trust, within the Bat Surveys For Professional Ecologists 4th Edition 2023:

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No Bat Roost Potential = No Further Bat Surveys

Negligible Bat Roost Potential =  No Further Bat Surveys

Low Bat Roost Potential = One Dusk Emergence Survey (Structures only)*

Moderate Bat Roost Potential = Two Dusk Emergence Surveys

High Bat Roost Potential / Confirmed Roost = Three Dusk Emergence Surveys

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*Low Potential trees are subjected to soft felling rather than a single Dusk Emergence Survey.

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What happens if I have bats?

If your structure or tree has a confirmed bat roost then we will look carefully at the proposed plans for your site to see if there is anyway of avoiding negative impacts to the bat roost. If this is not possible, then in order to continue with your proposed works you will require a derogation licence from Natural England (If in England) to temporarily or permanently destroy the bat roost and undertake bat mitigation legally. These Licences are called European Protected Species Licence (EPSL) and Bat Mitigation Class Licence (BMCL). The BMCL is a quicker Low Impact Licence that can be used where a low number of common species is to be impacted. The Licences are obtained from Natural England and are conditioned at Planning (once all the bat emergence surveys have been completed). Within this Licence, there will be a mitigation plan, which depends upon the species recorded and roost type. In summary, a typical mitigation plan will involve a licensed bat ecologist on site to handle and remove any bats, the erection of new species specific bat boxes on or in new buildings , and/or in some cases creating bat lofts to replace this lost. 

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When can bat mitigation be undertaken?

Bat mitigation as mentioned above, where required, varies depending on the species and type of bat roost recorded. For example, there wouldn't usually be any timing or seasonal restrictions for proposed works the result in the destruction of a single common species summer day roost. However, a maternity roost (often several to hundreds of individual breeding female bats) of any species would need to avoid the maternity season between at least May and October when they are likely to be present. Work to the four main roosts types can usually take place between the following months:

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• Maternity and summer roost sites: Between October and May

• Hibernation sites: Between May and October

• Mating and swarming sites: Between November and August

• Roosts occupied year round: March to May or September to October

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How are Bats protected?

In Britain all bat species and their roosts are legally protected, by both National and international legislation such as:

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (As Amended)

Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2017 (As Amended)

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In summary, this means you may be committing a criminal offence if you:

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• Deliberately take, injure or kill a wild bat.

• Intentionally or recklessly disturb a bat in its roost or deliberately disturb a group of bat

• Damage or destroy a place used by bats for breeding or resting (roosts) (even if bats are not occupying the roost at the time).

• Possess or advertise/sell/exchange a bat of a species found in the wild in the EU (dead or alive) or any part of a bat.

• Intentionally or recklessly obstruct access to a bat roost.

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How long is a Bat Survey For Planning valid For?

Guidance from the Chartered Institute of Ecology And Environmental Management advises bat ecologists on the lifespan of Ecological Reports and Surveys. For bat reports this is variable based upon the type survey of survey and its findings. However, we expect the lifespan to be between 12 and 18 months for Preliminary Roost Assessments, 6 - 12 months for Bat Emergence Surveys, and within one survey season for European Protected Species Mitigation Licence applications.

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Do you undertake Bird Surveys?

We include a basic assessment for nesting birds in all our Preliminary Roost Assessment reports as this often required by councils too when a structure or tree is to be impacted.

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What type of bats are found in the UK?

The UK is home to 18 different species of bat, some are considerably rarer than others and have very different habits and habitat preferences to each other:

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1. Common Pipistrelle

2. Soprano Pipistrelle

3. Nathusius’ Pipistrelle

4. Brown Long-Eared Bat

5. Grey Long-Eared Bat

6. Greater Horseshoe Bat

7. Lesser Horseshoe Bat

8. Alcathoe Bat

9. Daubenton’s Bat

10. Barbastelle Bat

11. Bechstein’s Bat

12. Brandt’s Bat

13. Leisler’s Bat

14. Natterer’s Bat

15. Noctule Bat

16. Whiskered Bat

17. Serotine Bat

18. Alcathoe Bat (Resident only)

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What type of Bat Roosts are there?

Although different bat species have different roosting habits and requirements, most bat roosts can be characterised into one or more of the following Natural England definitions:

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Day Roost: A Place where individual bats, or small groups, rest or shelter in the day during the summer.

Night Roost: A Place where bats rest or shelter in the night but are not found in the day. May be used by a single individual on occasion or it should could be used regularly by the whole colony.

Feeding Roost: A place where individual bats, or a few individuals, rest or feed for short periods during the night but are not present by day.

Transitional Roost: A place used by a few individuals or occasionally small groups for generally short periods of time on waking from hibernation or in the period prior to hibernation.

Maternity Roost: A place where female bats give birth and raise their young to independence. In some species, males may also be present in the maternity roost.

Hibernation Roost: A place where bats may be found individually or together during winter. They have a constant cool temperature and high humidity.

Satellite Roost: An alternative roost found in close proximity to the main nursery colony used by a few individuals to small groups of breeding females throughout the breeding season.

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