Urban Bat Surveys in Scotland
Bats are present in urban areas, and your local authority has a duty to consider protected species in all developments requiring planning consents. That means you may require a bat survey as part of your planning process.
In 2018-20, 100% of the urban bat roosts found on our clients’ sites could be handled quickly and flexibly under our BLIMP (Bat Low Impact) Licence.
That means straightforward next steps and minimal disruption to your project!
Why do I need a bat survey?
Reassurance that no bats (which are protected) will be disturbed or harmed during construction or development work.
It’s a legal requirement in many cases, especially if the building or site has features that could support bat roosts.
Your local authority will need confirmation that appropriate mitigation measures are implemented if bats are found to be roosting on site.
How do bat surveys work?
We’ll guide you through each step of the process, and have an overview below so you know exactly what to expect:
1. You’ll receive a no-obligation quote.
All of our quotes are based on the nature of your specific survey needs so we will ask you for key information about your property and proposed works. We’ll then quote based on the nature of your site and your goals.
2. When you accept your quote, we’ll arrange a day-time visual inspection.
Bat surveys start with a visual inspection (or stage 1 survey) that can happen at any time of year. We’ll arrange this with you and one of our seasoned professional ecologists will visit your property and survey the outside, and any inside attics that are accessible.
3. After the visual inspection we will outline your next steps.
We will provide you with a report outlining the next steps needed after your visual inspection. This will either confirm there are no bats present (and negligible potential that a bat roost is present), or recommend further surveys.
4. If necessary, we will return for bat activity surveys.
If your stage 1 survey suggests bats could be roosting (or finds bats roosting) we will return in between May and September to for a bat activity survey (or stage 2 survey). These surveys can take several weeks to complete, and are focused on finding bats entering or leaving roosts on your property.
5. You’ll get a full report with recommendations.
After your required survey effort is complete we will create a full report for you, including outlining:
Any bat species found roosting on your site
What we recommend you do to comply with the law based on your goals and what we found on your site
How we will support you and your project to completion
6. We will take care of any licensing and mitigation needed.
With your approval, we’ll then take the next steps on your behalf. That may include seeking a full licence, attending the work site, supervising works and removing any roosting bats, and installing bat boxes to provide alternative roosting opportunities.
7. Finally, we’ll follow up with your local planning authority for you.
Once all works are complete, we’ll send a letter to your local planning authority to confirm all work was completed under the appropriate licence and in compliance with all relevant legislation.
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