UES were approached in April 2018 to carry out a Bat Scoping Survey of a barn in Sandbach, Cheshire. The client wished to renovate and convert the existing barn into two, two-storey residential dwellings.
The preliminary bat scoping survey methodology followed the best practice guidelines presented in Bat Conservation Trust guidance (2007). A number of access points into the barn were noted. Additionally, a number of scattered brown long-eared bat droppings amongst the feeding remains of moths were discovered within the first floor of the barn. The evidence suggested the building is likely used by roosting bats, which therefore resulted in presence / absence surveys and roost characterisation assessments in order to describe the roosts present.
Presence / Absence surveys can only be carried out during the bat survey season, which runs from May to September (inclusive). In this case, the surveys were carried out in June and July 2018. The results of these surveys confirmed the presence of roosting bats: a total of two common pipistrelles were found roosting in the building, in addition to the roost found during the scoping survey, as indicated by the brown long-eared bat droppings and feeding remains.
Due to the presence of roosting bats, the development therefore needed to proceed under a licence granted by Natural England. Furthermore, a Bat Method Statement was also needed as part of the planning application, which details the mitigation strategy for the development to ensure that no bats are affected by the development in the short or long term. Our ecologists are experienced at devising bespoke mitigation strategies that best fit the clients need, whilst also ensuring planning permission.
Toby Hart, UES Managing Director, is one of a small number of ecologists in the North West to hold a Bat Low Impact Class Licence (BLICL). This licence enables our clients to streamline the licensing process for developments which affect only a low number of commonly occurring species, and therefore ensures work commences as quickly as possible.
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