UES have completed a bat survey and a phase 1 habitat survey of a property in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
Bat surveys of the buildings on site consisting of initial building inspections have been carried out. Further bat survey work is needed. The next round of surveys (bat emergence and return roost surveys) must be carried out at a time of year when bats are active. The bat survey guidelines state May to August as the optimum time for bat activity surveys.
The property backs on to a strip of mature woodland which is a habitat type often used by foraging and roosting bats. The boundary of the property is next to a train line which forms a tree-lined linear feature. Linear features, especially if lined with trees or hedgerows, are often used by commuting bats to move between different areas. Bats can use different habitat features in different ways. Features such as woodlands, ponds, caves, meadows, rivers and buildings are all used by bats.
Some features are used for feeding, others for raising young or resting between bouts of feeding activity. It is important to establish whether or not bats are using features local to a planned development prior to any potentially damaging works being carried out.
The next set of bat activity surveys planned for the site will give us all of the information required by the planning authority in order to grant planning permission.