Likely outcomes of bat surveys
When commissioning a bat survey you may want to understand what the likely outcome may be. To help you we've looked at the findings of our bat surveys at 133 sites, split into rural and urban/suburban locations.
• Stage 1 bat surveys were all that was necessary at around one-third of urban/suburban sites and one-quarter of rural sites.
• 42% of urban/suburban sites needed both stage 1 and stage 2 bat surveys. This figure was double for rural sites, reflecting the better bat habitat and often older buildings.
• At urban/suburban locations 16% of sites had bat roosts, all of which were non-breeding, so could be addressed quickly and flexibly under low impact licensing.
• At rural sites 58% of buildings contained roosts. Most could be addressed under a low impact license, but 17% had roosts that required full licensing, due to the presence of rarer species or hibernation or maternity roosts. Full licenses are usually slower to obtain and may have seasonal restrictions and more complex mitigation.
