What Is A Bat Survey?
Bats are protected, so you may require bat surveys as a part of seeking planning permission or undertaking repairs on your property.
A bat survey is carried out to determine if bats are present and/or roosting in a property or proposed development site.
These surveys allow us to gather specific details about the species, numbers, and precise locations and assess effective methods of allowing your project to take place without harming the local bat population or risking prosecution.
While some bat roosts have visible signs, such as droppings, the majority do not.
When might you need a bat survey?
If you are planning any works that require building a new property, converting or demolishing an existing one, you may be required to undertake a survey for bats or other protected species.
Ten species of bat have been recorded in Scotland, all of which have legal protection.
The law protects bats and their roosts from disturbance of harm - either purposefully or by accident. This means you may be liable to prosecution if any bats are killed, captured, dispersed, injured, or disturbed.
Any voids, gaps, attic spaces, or crevices used by bats as roosts are also protected from being destroyed, disturbed or blocked up.
Read more about urban bat surveys.
Are bats harmful to my property?
Unlike rodents, bats are largely harmless to property unless in very large numbers. They don’t build nests and they won’t gnaw through cables, wood, wires, or insulation like mice or rats.
You may need a bat survey if you are considering work including but not limited to:
Extensions
Conversions
New-builds
Demolition
Groundworks
Tree surgery
If the proposed work requires any form of statutory consent (e.g. planning consent, demolition warrants, listed building consent) then the local planning authority is likely to require a bat survey to be submitted before consent can be issued.
How are bat surveys carried out?
Bat surveys are carried out with reference to the Bat Survey Guidelines produced by the Bat Conservation Trust and endorsed by NatureScot and local planning authorities.
Bat surveys usually take place in two stages:
▶ Stage 1 - Preliminary Roost Assessment
This is a day-time physical inspection, looking for both evidence of roosting bats and structures that have the potential to contain roosts. It also considers the surrounding habitat and whether bats have been recorded in the area.
The level of suitability for bat roosts is assessed, and this determines if a stage 2 survey is needed.
▶ Stage 2 - Bat Activity Surveys
This is a night-time survey with a team of skilled surveyors using ultrasound bat detectors and infra-red video to identify bats leaving or entering roost features. Depending on the potential for bat roosts determined in the stage 1 survey, this may need to be repeated several times.
These can be a mix of sunset and sunrise surveys to allow a full picture of roosting activities on your property.
What happens after bat surveys?
You’ll get a full report (written in simple English so it’s as easily accessible as possible) outlining:
Any roosts present
If roosts are present, if your proposed work will impact them
If work will impact roosts, a method statement and proposed approach to licensing your proposed work for assessment by your Local Planning Authority
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If you have any questions about bats or other protected species, what to do about organising a survey, or need general information, we welcome your inquiry.
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