5 Questions to Ask Your Potential Bat Ecologist
When it comes to your bat survey, we understand that you have a variety of ecologists to choose from. Price is understandably an important factor to consider when choosing your ecologist, but it is not the only factor that should be considered.
In this blog, we will go through some questions you should consider asking your potential ecologists before commissioning them.
- How many surveys will I need in total?
So, your Local Planning Authority has told you that you need a bat survey. This can be quite a misleading turn of phrase, because a bat survey is not made up of a singular visit. The first visit is a simple scoping survey - it is there to ascertain the bat roosting potential of your property.
What exactly does that mean? Well, bats like certain structures more than others. Old buildings made of traditional materials like slate roofs with bitumen felt insulation are well suited to host bats, whereas more modern buildings may not be favourable. Older buildings also tend to have more gaps that bats can squeeze into, whereas more recent builds tend to be tightly sealed, making it much harder for bats to get in. We take a look at the whole context of the building and assign a score to it that reflects how well suited it may be to bats.
This is only the first step. Most of the time, it won’t tell you if you actually have bats, let alone what species and how many bats may be there. Using the bat roosting suitability score, we use official guidelines to recommend a number of additional surveys. We understand that this is a pain, often taking up more time and costing more money, but it is necessary. If the adequate effort to survey the whole building properly is not put in, your planning application can be rejected, which is going to be more time consuming and inconvenient in the long run.
These extra site visits take the form of dusk emergence surveys. We sit outside the building at sunset with thermal and infrared cameras and bat detectors, and wait to see if bats come out. This tells us a lot of important information, including: what species of bats are present, how many bats of each species are present, what type of roost it is, and how bats are getting in and out of the building. These extra surveys are necessary in 90% of circumstances, and up to three of them may be necessary depending on the bat roosting suitability and the findings of each survey.
So, depending on what type of property you have, ‘a bat survey’ can actually mean four separate visits. When ecological consultancies quote you for ‘a bat survey’, they are usually only quoting for the first scoping survey, so it is important for you to anticipate how many other surveys may be required before your LPA is satisfied with the bat survey effort.
To find out more about the bat survey process, check out our other blog here!
2. How long could the whole process take?
Some projects are really quick. It could be that you have a small, well sealed garage that has negligible bat roosting suitability, then the first scoping survey will be all that is necessary. We offer a fast track service that guarantees a 7-day turnaround between the site visit and the issuing of the official bat report you can send alongside your planning application, so best case scenario, you will be looking at a couple of weeks.
The worst case scenario is a little more daunting. The dusk emergence surveys discussed in the section above can only be conducted between May and August because that is the time bats are most active. If you need more than one dusk emergence survey, they have to be spaced apart by a minimum of three weeks under weather conditions ideal for bats.
So, depending on what time of year you initially inquire about a bat survey, you could be looking at over three months for your bat surveys to be completed and your report to be issued.
3. What will happen if it turns out that I have bats?
Your first experience with the bat survey process can be intimidating, especially if it turns out that you have bats. All bats and their roosts are protected under UK law, which includes your property if it turns out there are bats there! The good news is that you can still go ahead with your development, but with a few conditions.
A European Protected Species Licence with Natural Resources Wales (or Natural England) will be necessary before you can continue. This licence allows you to interfere with the bats and their roosts without it being classed as a wildlife crime. There will be some conditions to this licence, such as having a licensed bat ecologist on site when you are interfering with the bat roosts, and making sure that bats still have roosting opportunities on site.
Although this seems like another hassle, finding out you have bats before you start your development is much less inconvenient than finding you have bats mid-way through. Imagine starting your development, your builders finding a bat, and having to stop everything for weeks or maybe even months while you have an ecologist come in to fully survey the property, submit a licence application, and having to wait for that licence to come through, all while you may already have most of your roof gone.
Protecting bats and wildlife in general is crucial for the ecosystem we live in. We rely on nature heavily for food, clean air, and mental wellbeing, so legalities like these, although may seem like pointless hurdles, are important to protect nature ans us.
To learn more about the positive effects of having bats, check out our other blog here!
4. How much should I budget for the ecological side of my development?
This is a really difficult question to answer, but it is worth being prepared for any eventuality. The answer depends on how many surveys you need, whether you have bats, and how complicated the project is.
The initial scoping survey can range from £300 - £600. Each subsequent dusk emergence survey can cost between £700 - £1500. Natural Resources Wales charges £1024 for a licence application, and an ecological consultancy may charge between £400 - £1000 for the licence application depending on the project complexity. Then there are day rates for on-site supervision and the mitigation for the bats, which may include bat boxes and access slates.
This is understandably a lot of money. It is a fraction of what the whole development will cost, and is much less than the cost of delays when discovering bats mid-way through the development. It is worth doing correctly as the fine for destroying a bat roost has no limit. A wildlife fine can cost £5000 per bat, so even having a small number (5-10) bats can be magnitudes more expensive than doing everything correctly from the get-go.
5. What are your qualifications/experience?
Some ecologists are general ecologists and can cover a wide range of habitats and species, which is fantastic if your development is large and might affect multiple protected species. There are 18 species of bat in the UK, all of which are protected, and all of which need to be distinguished between by a specialist bat ecologist. Thorough bat surveys that get through planning applications and licence applications require specialist equipment as well, such as bat detectors and night vision aids. Specialist bat ecologists have this equipment and know how best to use it to attain good and accurate survey results.
Experience getting licenses approved and supervising developments that affect bats is crucial to receiving your licence. A Class 2 Bat Licence from Natural Resources Wales (or Natural England) is typically the minimum requirement for being the lead ecologist listed on a bat licence for development. Making sure the ecologist you commission has the qualifications to assist you throughout each stage of the bat survey process, all the way to the end of your licence requirements.
Previous experience as the lead ecologist on a development licence is typically also a requirement for the licence to be granted, so checking that your ecologist has experience with development licences similar to your project is an essential in ensuring you pick the best ecologist to see you through seamlessly.
There's a lot to think about when it comes to your development. We are here to make sure you don't have to think too much about the bat side of it. We will take care of every step so you don't have to worry about it. To find out how we can help you, get in touch today!
