• Bats
• Pond creation
• Wetlands: reed beds and wader scrapes
• Badger setts
• Hibernacula
• Tree and shrub planting
• Badgers
• Dormice
• Great crested newts
• Water voles
• Bats
• Reptiles
• Birds
• How to make your garden more wildlife friendly

Bats

There are 18 species of bat in the UK, some of which are very rare.  All British bats are nocturnal, emerging at night to forage for insects.  They hibernate during the winter months, roosting in natural places like trees and caves, but also in manmade places such as houses, bridges and mines. The females gather in maternity roosts during the summer to have their young.

Protection

All of the 18 species are protected by the Habitats Regulations 2010 and also have some additional protection from the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.  Mitigation on development sites where there is a presence of bats is governed under strict licensing procedures by Natural England. Seven species of bat are priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

If a roost is likely to be damaged or removed during development works, the works must be done under licence, even if the roost is unoccupied at the time of development.

Planning permission can be refused unless the developer can prove that:

• Bats will be adequately protected during the development works.
• The disturbance will be kept to a minimum.
• Alternative habitat will be provided to accommodate the existing population.

If signs of bats are discovered during development work, works may have to stop until the issue is dealt with adequately.  This could have serious impact on the timings and the costs of a project.  It is not unknown for Natural England to be informed anonymously of the presence of bats on a site.

Mitigation

Linear features like hedgerows are importanat for bats as they use them for navigation.  Other vegetation such as trees, woodland, ponds and flower rich grasslands are important for providing foraging opportunities.

There are ways to accommodate roosting bats within new developments which include:

• Preserving trees and buildings which are being used by bats.
• Incorporating areas within buildings which the bats can access via a bat brick or modified roofing tile.
• Creating bat roosting spaces within converted barns and renovated houses which are separate from the living space.
• Installing bat boxes on the outside of buildings or on trees.
• Creating a bat barn or bat tower away from the buildings.

Timing is essential when planning any development works on sites which contain bat roosts, although the timings depend on the type of roost in question. For further information on timings, check our mitigation calendar.

If you are planning development works on a site which you suspect might contain bat roosts, please call us for further information on 01483 466066.