Planning for bats

Norfolk Wildlife Services advise on planning for bats

All British species of bats are protected by UK and European law, which covers both bats and their roosts. Anyone planning to develop a building, including demolition works, will need to plan well in advance for bat surveys and eventually appropriate mitigation. Government policy states that the Local Planning Authority (LPA) is required to take account of bat presence as a material consideration when determining planning applications.

The Bat Conservation Trust has recently published good practice guidelines on the process for survey and mitigation where development proposals may impact on bat roosts and hibernation sites. It is recommended that these guidelines are complied with to ensure bats receive the legal protection required where affected by development proposals.

A bat survey is required where there is a reasonable possibility that bats could be affected by a development. This includes development of agricultural buildings, buildings within certain distances of woodland and water, bridge structures, churches and quarries. The presence of bats need not mean that the development cannot proceed, but early planning for the possible presence of bats can save time and money later on.

The survey and assessment work will require an experienced, specialist bat consultant. The initial stage involves a site inspection to advise an applicant on the likelihood of bats being present or using the site. If there is a positive presence of bats, then emergence surveys, carried out at dawn and dusk, will be required to determine if the building is used as a roost. If bats are present, then it may take up to a year of survey to determine and plan for bats within the proposed development. The survey information is required for the LPA to determine the application. This may include conditions such as timing for the development, installing a bat loft or bat boxes, and even landscaping works to enhance the habitat for bats around the development.

A European Protected Species (EPS) licence will be required where bats are significantly affected, therefore it is important to build up a detailed picture about the bats; how they are using the building and the wider landscape. The EPS licence is issued by Natural England and a bat specialist should be commissioned to put together the application using all the knowledge gathered through the relevant surveys. The licence will set out how the works must be carried out – whether for demolition, repair works or new extensions, as well as for monitoring that will continue after the development is completed.

So when planning a development, prepare well in advance for bat surveys and mitigations to ensure that planning applications can be determined with all the information about protected bats. This approach will prevent delays and help to ensure a viable future for our bat populations.

For the BCT guidelines see http://www.bats.org.uk/
PPS9 (Planning Policy Statement 9): Biodiversity and Geological Conservation