If you are considering a building project and the works will likely involve sections of the existing roof or demolition to the existing building, then it is worth considering whether your project will be affected by the presence of bats.
Bats are a protected species and therefore require certain actions to be taken to prevent disturbance to any roost.
At the initial consultation meeting Fineline Architects will generally advise if a bat survey is likely to be required by the Council on the basis of the condition of the property and its proximity to woodland or mature trees. It is worth noting that even when these factors are unlikely, Planning departments have still requested bat surveys to be submitted as part of the planning application as a precaution due to the protected nature of bats.
Bats can roost in the smallest of spaces, from small crevices through to loft spaces. When the Ecologist is preparing the Preliminary Roost Assessment, a site survey is undertaken to assess any potential entry points, roosting locations and presence of bats droppings. The Preliminary Roost Assessment can be undertaken at any time of year. If there is no evidence to suggest the presence of bats, then the report can be submitted to the Council as part of the Planning application.
If the presence of bats is considered likely by the Ecologist, then further surveys are generally required and Planning permission will generally not be granted until these additional surveys have been completed. The dusk emergence surveys are undertaken by the Ecologist in the months of May to September. The Ecologist monitors the property over 2-3 visits over the course of the summer months to establish the number and species of bats present at the property. Once these surveys have been undertaken, a Bat Mitigation Report is then compiled, which can be submitted to the Council.
The Mitigation Report details the numbers and species of bats detected, the entrance points, and the recommended route forwards. This will inform the process moving forwards and whether a Natural England Bat Licence is required for the project. If a maternity roost is found, then the construction works involving the roof may be limited to starting at a certain time of the year to prevent disruption to the roost at sensitive times.
As the window for the further surveys is within a limited window of May to September, a Preliminary Roost Assessment is always an item to be aware of as it can alter the programme of a project if the summer surveys are required to achieve planning approval.
Working with Fineline Architects, we guide our clients through the process, advising on the various consultants required as part of the larger experienced team to ensure all accompanying documents are in place to achieve your ideal project.
