Bat Visual Surveys

Bat Visual Surveys

At Western Ecology, our professional and licensed bat ecologists have years of experience in conducting bat visual surveys – also known as bat and barn owl surveys – and preliminary visual assessments for bats and breeding birds.

Initial assessments from £399.

The costs of a bat survey vary depending on how many buildings are involved and the distance we’d need to travel. To provide a rough idea of our bat survey costs, we would charge up to £399 for the initial assessment of a simple site, consisting of a single barn or house. This includes the bat survey, a written report and an assessment for barn owls and other bird species, completed by a licensed bat ecologist. If no evidence of bats was found, this survey is usually sufficient for planning purposes.

Why do I need a bat visual survey?

It’s essential to survey developments that have the potential to adversely impact the habitat of bats and barn owls. This typically includes barn conversions, significant roof modifications or the demolition of abandoned structures. Bat surveys are required if there is a reasonable likelihood of bats being present in the location of a planned development, as local authorities are obliged to ensure the conservation of biodiversity – such as bats and other protected species – under the European Habitats Directive.

If the planned works are of a more simple nature (Such as adding roof insulation), then you can contact the

Bat Conservation Trust on 0845 1300 228 for free advice on bats.

The local planning authority will use a trigger list to establish whether your planned project requires a bat survey or a barn owl survey. This list may include:

1. agricultural buildings (e.g. farmhouses, barns and outbuildings) of traditional brick or stone construction and/or with exposed wooden beams;
2. buildings with weather boarding and/or hanging tiles that are within 200m of woodland and/or water;
3. pre-1960 detached buildings and structures within 200m of woodland and/or water;
4. pre-1914 buildings within 400m of woodland and/or water;
5. pre-1914 buildings with gable ends or slate roofs, regardless of location;
6. any building located within, or immediately adjacent to woodland &/ or immediately adjacent to water.

Our team of ecologists have plenty of experience in conducting bat visual surveys and conduct thorough searches to search for individual bats or the signs to indicate the presence of bats. Once we’ve completed the survey, we will issue a comprehensive report to support your planning application.

It’s important to bear in mind that on occasion, further surveys are needed if we discover signs that bats are roosting within a building. We can provide a further bat emergence surveys for £1,300, should this be required.

Our Commitment to You

To demonstrate our commitment to delivering high-quality service, we have adopted the BS 42020:2013 Biodiversity code of practice for planning and development for all of our bat surveys.

Furthermore, our bat survey ecologists hold a relevant class license for bats from Natural England, hold the required Competencies for Species Survey (CSS) and projects are managed by a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM) or Royal Society of Biologists (RSB).