Bat Licensing and Mitigation

Finding a bat roost doesn’t mean the end of your plans. Where bats are present, your survey report will offer a suggested course of action

Our bat specialist ecologists are often asked what will happen if we find a bat roost during a survey.

Far from a cause for concern, finding a bat roost means we will work with you to recommend and deliver a suggested course of action that balances bat conservation with your proposed work plans.

We will first consider if the roost will be impacted by the proposed works.

If the roost is in a building that is to be demolished or substantially changed, then it’s very likely to be impacted. In some cases, the roost may not be in an impacted area or it may be possible to work around it or carry out work when it is unoccupied at other times of year (e.g. in winter when bats hibernate elsewhere).

If the proposed work will disturb (e.g. by noise or vibration), destroy, or block access to the roost then we need to obtain a development licence on your behalf.

To proceed without a licence is a criminal offence, with fines of up to £5,000 per animal harmed.

For a licence to be issued, three legal tests must be met:

  1. There must be a licensable purpose, drawn from a set list.

  2. All reasonable alternatives must have been considered.

  3. The favourable conservation status of the bat species must be undiminished.

We usually prepare a bat protection plan, which aims to minimise the disturbance or harm and provide compensatory roosting opportunities. These alternative roosting sites can be anything from a small group of bat boxes, to a specially created structure or ‘bat house’.

The bat species, numbers and the way in which they use the roost will all influence what is necessary for the bat protection plan to be most effective.

The Licensing Process

Licence applications can take up to 8 weeks to process in Scotland (though they are usually quicker). 

For small, non-breeding roosts of our two least threatened species (common and soprano pipistrelles) can be licensed rapidly under the Bat Low Impact licensing system (BLIMP).

Our bat specialist ecologists are licensed by NatureScot to use this system which decreases the time taken to manage many bat roosts.

During 2018-2020 all urban bat roosts and 71% of rural bat roosts surveyed by our team were licensed using BLIMP.

Our Lastest Blogs

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You need a licence for your home renovation or development project. Here’s a quick look at the licensing process so you know what to expect.

Hair-Raising Bat Myths: What If It Gets in My Hair?!
Hair-Raising Bat Myths: What If It Gets in My Hair?!

Have you ever been worried about a bat getting in your hair? Well, we’re here to reassure you that is extremely unlikely to happen!

Preserving a bat hibernation site
Preserving a bat hibernation site

Middleton Quarry was being infilled with over 600,000 tonnes of spoil from a railway project. To protect bats hibernating in the quarry we balanced engineering and ecology to create a bespoke solution.

Contact our team of ecologists

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.

What Our Clients Say

  • Having worked with David Dodds Associates for a number of years, the service received is excellent and always provides expert ecological advice.

    • Lynne McNeely, Carneil Homes Ltd, Kinross

  • “Montgomery Forgan Associates has worked with David for many years on planning projects for mutual clients. David's work is first class, always delivered on time and is keenly priced. David has a wealth of knowledge on all ecological matters, with a highly valued specialism in bat surveys. Montgomery Forgan Associates would have no hesitation in recommending David to its clients.”

    • David Queripel, Montgomery Forgan Associates, Cupar

  • “We have found David Dodds very helpful in providing us with bat surveys and mitigation proposals.”

    • Niall Braidwood, Ogilvy Chalmers, Haddington

  • “Thank you for your help in doing the survey, and the speed of your response. Charlotte seemed very knowledgable. She was very helpful and happy to respond to our questions! Your report gave us all the answers we needed.”

    • Chris Gunstone, Tyninghame Village Hall Committee, East Lothian

  • “We have worked with David and his team in many projects and he is a real expert in the field. From enquiry, to survey, to receiving the report, they are always professional and provide a high quality service.”

    • Arancha Arnal, Blyth and Bluth Consulting Engineers, Edinburgh

  • “Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has used David Dodds Associates and their services for projects that required their extensive and specialist expertise. David has not only assisted in a prompt and professional manner he also provided a welcomed insight into the world of bat protection, articulating how best to approach situations to ensure SRUC deliver projects whilst the species, environment and landscape remain protected.”

    • Leeanne Price, S.R.U.C., Penicuik

  • “David has routinely provided timely, proactive and helpful advice to assist and enable building fabric projects to progress in a compliant manner and remains my first point of contact for any ecological requirements”.

    • Craig Mattocks, Cademuir Building Consultants, Peebles