Bat Surveys

Bat surveys for the planning process

The planning authority will require a bat survey for any application that may affect bats or bat roosts. You may be applying to alter an existing building, carry out a steading conversion, or erect a new building. Even new developments may require a bat survey if bats roost in trees affected by the development.
You may not even be aware that you have bats on your property, as they are present and active only at certain times of the year. For example, during the winter months they hibernate. Regulations protect bat roosts even if no bats are present, because bats return to the same roosts each year. Because of these factors, we may need to carry out bat surveys over a period of some months.

How we carry out bat surveys

We’ll survey the site in two ways, in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Bat Conservation Trust – Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists – Good Practice Guidelines, and English Nature, Bat Mitigation Guidelines.
Firstly, we carry out an internal and external visual inspection of any buildings and trees on the site to see if there is any bat roost potential and to look for any signs of bat usage. These will include bat corpses, faecal pellets, scratch marks, urine stains or rub marks on entry and exit points. We’ll also consider the suitability of the building for bat hibernation.

If we find evidence of bats using the building or trees, then, during the months when bats are active (generally May to October in the north of Scotland), we will conduct dusk and dawn surveys at the site.
Our bat surveyors record visual sightings and use infrared photography to make video recordings. We capture the high-frequency sounds emitted by bats with the Echometer bat detector and recording equipment, and identify the species present. There are at least nine bat species found in Scotland, and the most common species are the soprano pipistrelle and common pipistrelle.
We’ll provide you with a suitable report to support your planning application. If we find bats, then we will include advice on mitigation measures to protect them.
You may need to install bat boxes to provide new roosts. In this way, the bats will then have alternative roosts to use if their roosts are disturbed. We can supply and install these bat boxes in suitable locations.

Bat licences

You must obtain a licence for planned development works, or even minor home repairs or alterations that might affect bats or their roosts. We can obtain this licence on your behalf, by applying to NatureScot.
You’ll also need a licence to exclude bats that are causing significant problems.
You don’t need a licence to remove bats from the living area of a house but we are happy to attend to do this for you.

Bats and land management

Most land management practices are unlikely to affect bats or their roosts.
As part of a tree or woodland survey, we’ll assess trees for evidence of bats or their bat roosting potential. When bats are detected, we will advise on mitigation measures to protect them.
You must apply to NatureScot for a licence if your work could result in an offence in relation to bats. You can also apply for a licence to permit tree works where a bat roost is present and no alternative to tree surgery is possible.

If you have any questions about bats and their protected status, please do not hesitate to give us a call on
01224 734372. You can also get more information by visiting the Bat Conservation Trust.