South West Ecological Importance
Within the South West region are seven counties, consisting of Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, with towns and cities such as Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Exeter, Plymouth, Swindon and Weston-super-Mare therein.
Dominated by countryside, South West England has a distinct number of rural areas alongside coastal locations and a peppering of towns and villages. With such a variety of potential environments to create viable bat roosts and a more than favourable conservation status, numerous bat species in the region are given a multitude of opportunities to set up habitats.
Species of Bat Currently Roosting in the South West
The climate, selection of potential roosting locations and quality of the environment are just a handful of factors that could influence the occupation of specific bat species in a certain area. Namely highlighting the South West, identified species of bat by county include:
Bristol
- Alcathoe bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Leisler’s bat
- Lesser horseshoe bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
Cornwall
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Greater horseshoe bat
- Lesser horseshoe bat
- Natterer’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Whiskered bat
Devon
- Barbastelle bat
- Bechstein’s bat
- Brandt’s bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Greater horseshoe bat
- Leisler’s bat
- Lesser horseshoe bat
- Natterer’s bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
- Whiskered bat
Dorset
- Barbastelle bat
- Bechstein’s bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- Greater horseshoe bat
- Grey long-eared bat
- Lesser horseshoe bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
Gloucestershire
- Barbastelle bat
- Bechstein’s bat
- Brandt’s bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubtenon’s
- Greater horseshoe bat
- Leisler’s bat
- Lesser horseshoe bat
- Natterer’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
- Whiskered bat
Somerset
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
Wiltshire
- Barbastelle bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
- Whiskered bat
Sections of UK law and European legislation including the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 state that any form of disturbance to bats, exercises that could obstruct access of roosting bats to a bat roost or processes that could damage bat roost sites will be judged as illegal and put the person at fault under the risk of prosecution.
It will also lead to issues with the planning project, such as lengthy and costly delays to the development. With this in mind, it would be vital to reach out to a qualified ecologist at the earliest opportunity for a form of bat survey and assessment if bats are present or evidence suggests that they may be inhabiting the proposed development site or building.
Surveying Bat Occupancy
Based on the circumstances of the bat presence, the process of surveying bats can start in one of two ways. The first would be that the local authorities would inform the developer that a bat survey is needed following the discovery of a roost in the building, or that the developer would arrange a bat survey after finding evidence of bats on the property. The second would be that the results from a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) would suggest that a bat survey on the property is required.
An inevitable outcome from either scenario would be the need for a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA). An ecological consultant will use a PRA as a first-stage opportunity to visually inspect all areas of the site and property for evidence of bat occupancy. Examples of evidence include bat carcasses, bat droppings, remains of prey, features that could act as suitable roosting locations, or the results of DNA analysis. A PRA will also allow the ecologist to speak directly to the developer and determine whether their planning project is likely to impact bats or vice versa.
Upon completion of the PRA, the ecological surveyor will assemble a comprehensive report to explain the outcomes from the assessment and suggest measures that will allow the project to go ahead, even with evidence suggesting that bats are present. If further information is needed or bats are likely to be affected by the project, the ecologist will advise that a Bat Emergence and Re-Entry Survey (BERS) be undertaken. Also known as bat activity surveys or bat emergence surveys, a BERS will be conducted by one or several licensed bat ecologists over multiple visits to the site at certain times in the summer during dusk and dawn.
Over the course of this process, the ecological surveyors will monitor bats entering and exiting the site as a method of identifying likely roosting locations, as well as the species of bats based on their echolocation calls. With help from specialist equipment and the insight of multiple experts, results from a BERS will provide the planning department of the local council with all of the necessary data, significantly decreasing the likelihood of seeing a planning application denied. If other European protected species are identified, the report will also call for further surveys, such as badger surveys, barn owl surveys or reptile surveys.
Book a Bat Assessment Now
A planning project can be stressful enough without finding further issues through working with a survey service provider that has a tendency to be unreliable or ineffective. Bat surveys, for example, should be carried out by an experienced, trustworthy and capable ecological consultancy with the necessary capabilities, skills and approach to prompt the required results, and proficiency in other relevant areas, such as the submission of mitigation class licence applications to Natural England.
Following over a decade of providing bat surveys, we vow to only hire the best ecologists and always yearn to produce a quality service for all of our clients. Situating ecological consultants all over the UK means that we can work on behalf of clients in South West England, other areas of the UK, and potentially an even further natural range of locations upon request. Each registered consultant has the necessary ties to the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and can act as an ecological clerk to undertake bat surveys on your site.
Start the bat survey process and the process of gaining planning consent from your local planning authority today by reaching out to us. Call the number above, fill out our quote form or consider our other contact options, and we will give you a free quote based on the specifications of your site and project. From there, we can organise a date and time to visit your site, work alongside you to advise on and undertake surveys to support bats, handle bats correctly, and push your development through planning with the corresponding statutory authority.