Advice for Architects/Developers

Advice for Architects/Developers

When undertaking any building, ground clearance or development work you should check if bats are present, therefore the essential first step should be to gain an ecological assessment of the site from a suitably qualified ecological consultant, ideally a licensed bat specialist.

Depending on the type and location of site, the habitats on the site and in the surrounding area, bat specialist may need to carry out some or all of the steps below:

  • Undertake a bat survey and produce a report of findings, including (if bats were found) details of roosts and what species of bat were found
  • Where bat roosts are present, compile a mitigation plan/method statement detailing any works on site that may impact bats and how they can be mitigated.
  • Prepare the bat survey report and mitigation plan/method statement in a form suitable to support a planning application
  • Apply for a Protected Species licence, to permit the proposed plan to be implemented
  • Supervise implementation of the mitigation plan and any other required working methods detailed in the method statement and license
  • Check and sign off the mitigation plan when completed
  • Liaise with the NatureScot licensing team and the LPA, as necessary
  • Monitor the site to check response of the bat population to the mitigation

Supervise implementation of the mitigation plan and any other required working methods detailed in the method statement and license Check and sign off the mitigation plan when completed Liaise with the NatureScot licensing team and the LPA, as necessary Monitor the site to check response of the bat population to the mitigation

Supervise implementation of the mitigation plan and any other required working methods detailed in the method statement and license

Check and sign off the mitigation plan when completed

Liaise with the NatureScot licensing team and the LPA, as necessary

Monitor the site to check response of the bat population to the mitigation

David Dodds Associates

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If you have any questions about bats or other protected species, what to do about organising a survey or general information, we welcome your enquiry.
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Thank you for your help in doing the survey, and the speed of your response. Charlotte seemed very knowledgable. She was very helpful and happy to respond to our questions! Your report gave us all the answers we needed.

Chris Gunstone, Tyninghame Village Hall Committee, East Lothian