What is a Bat Mitigation Class Licence?
The Bat Mitigation Class Licence or BMCL (formerly the Bat Low Impact Class Licence, or BLICL), is an alternative licence to the full European Protected Species Licence (EPSL) that aims to streamline the licencing process for sites with low conservation status bat roosts.
Following the initial bat surveys, if our licenced bat consultants discover roosting bats, then a licence will be needed to carry out the proposed works. A EPSL or a BMCL are the only two options available to enable the works. The BMCL option provides a faster and more cost efficient method of acquiring a licence in order to carry out the works. However, the BMCL can only be used in certain circumstances where impacts can easily be mitigated for.
What are the conditions of the Bat Mitigation Class Licence?
Since the application process is faster, only sites which meet certain criteria can be registered for the BMCL. Firstly, this licence can only be granted in England, not Wales or Scotland. Other conditions include:
- A low number of roosts, which are of low conservation importance, such as feeding roosts, day or night roosts, or transitional or occasional roosts.
- Only commonly occurring bat species found roosting. Species currently included under the BMCL include; common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, brown long-eared, whiskered, Brandt’s, Daubenton’s, and Natterer’s bat.
- A site inspection must be undertaken within 3 months of applying for the licence
Are we the right surveyors for you?
UES’ Managing Director, Toby Hart, is one of a few registered consultants of Natural England’s Bat Mitigation Class Licence in the North West. Toby has successfully registered many sites across England for the BMCL/ BLICL so you can be confident that we are the right people to get the job done as efficiently as possible.
To find out more, please Contact Us or submit an enquiry using the box below. To see some case studies of how a BMCL may benefit you, please see our Case Studies section.
For information on the legal status of bats, click the below link: