Ecological Features in the West Midlands
England’s West Midlands region comprises the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands county. Within the region and the corresponding counties are numerous popular cities and towns such as Solihull, Telford, Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Coventry.
Formed from a diversity of rural and urban areas, the West Midlands has a fair balance of developed towns and cities alongside untouched rolling fields. Through a relatively strong quality of countryside and a vast selection of different forms of infrastructure, the region acts as a potentially ideal location for numerous UK bat species to roost.
West Midlands Bats
Roosting bats choose suitable bat roost destinations based on several factors including the climate, state of the environment and suitable habitats. For the most part, many of the same bat species appear across the United Kingdom. However, looking more specifically at the region, certain species by county are listed below:
Herefordshire
- Barbastelle bat
- Brandt’s bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Leisler’s bat
- Natterer’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
- Whiskered bat
Shropshire
- Brandt’s bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Whiskered bat
Staffordshire
- Brandt’s bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Leisler’s bat
- Lesser horseshoe bat
- Natterer’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
- Whiskered bat
Warwickshire
- Barbastelle bat
- Bechstein’s bat
- Brandt’s bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Leisler’s bat
- Lesser horseshoe bag
- Natterer’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
West Midlands County
- Brandt’s bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Leisler’s bat
- Lesser horseshoe bat
- Natterer’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
- Whiskered bat
Worcestershire
- Barbastelle bat
- Bechstein’s bat
- Brandt’s bat
- Brown long-eared bat
- Daubenton’s bat
- Leisler’s bat
- Lesser horseshoe bat
- Natterer’s bat
- Noctule bat
- Pipistrelle bat
- Serotine bat
- Whiskered bat
In line with UK legislation such as the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is a nationally recognised legal offence to disturb bats in any way, shape or form. As soon as you discover bats or evidence of bats on a property or site you are developing, the most appropriate course of action to avoid harming the present bats, rule out any chance of prosecution and bypass delays to your planning project would be to involve an ecological consultant by booking a bat survey.
Bat Surveying Process
Initially, an ecologist will conduct what is known as a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) / bat scoping surveys – the first step for bat surveys that can be held all year round. It consists of a physical inspection of the site to gauge roosting locations and any indications in regard to specific bat species. At this point, the bat ecologist will look at all areas of the property and pay particular attention to areas that are likely to be impacted by the development, using information from the developer to understand if further surveys are needed.
Although a PRA survey is the initial bat assessment, it may have originally been suggested following evidence of bats found during a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA). A PEA survey is far broader and focuses on discovering any and all protected species and valuable plants on the site. In the case of bats, evidence on the site could include droppings, remains of prey, bat carcasses, signs of current or past bat roosts, and features that could act as a suitable bat roost for roosting bats such as slate roofs and gable ends. Providing sufficient evidence is found, the ecologist will then suggest a PRA. Alternatively, if a developer was already aware of a bat presence on the property, preliminary roost assessments could happen without the need for a PEA beforehand.
Any time a bat ecologist concludes that bats are present on the property and the development would be likely to disturb them, the next step would be to undertake a Bat Emergence and Re-Entry Survey (BERS) / dust and dawn re-entry surveys. Bat emergence surveys revolve around a bat ecologist – or several ecologists depending on the size of the property or site – monitoring the area on multiple visits between the months of May and September to record entries and exits from inhabiting bats, and use visual and audio recordings to understand all bat species in the vicinity.
Following any bat survey, the ecological consultant will draft together a bat survey report. Including every detail from the assessment and any necessary evidence such as pictures, graphs and further information that could help to illustrate the circumstances of the bat presence on the site, the completed bat report will then be passed on to the local planning authority to support the application for planning permission. Without it, local authorities simply will not consider granting planning consent on the site.
Organising Bat Surveys
Rightly so, every stage of the planning process must be followed accordingly, and for the project to have a positive outcome, putting faith into the correct service providers is crucial. If bats are present on your site, it is equally as important that you choose a reliable ecological consultancy with experience carrying out the necessary bat surveys and evidence of past case studies at the earliest opportunity to support development projects, planning applications, and submissions for mitigation licences from Natural England.
With over a decade of experience in undertaking tree surveys and producing tree reports for developers across the country, our ecology team features bat consultants that are more than capable of progressing your project in the West Midlands. Each of our bat ecologists holds the required qualifications and expertise to assess your site and develop a report that fulfils all of the strict requirements of your local planning authority.
For a free quote based on the specifications of your site and project, get in touch with us using our contact page, quote form or direct phone number, and one of our team will send you a no-obligation quote. If you are happy to go ahead, we can arrange a time with you to carry out the necessary bat surveys and support you in your planning application.