Discussion
Bat survey aved me nearly £2m on a potential development in Worcestershire. Seller said no bats, survey showed the UK's 2nd largest colony of Lesser Horseshoe Bats. Site would have been un-developable.
Its not a scam, I have observed the sureveys (I worked for an ecological survey company when I was a student)
Its not a scam, I have observed the sureveys (I worked for an ecological survey company when I was a student)
skintemma said:
Yes, I'll take your word for it. I assume you weren't a student of language...
Typo on "saved" thanks to Blackberry keyboard. Un-developable is a non word but means exactly what you would think it means. Any consultant is the same. The way in which you instruct dictates what you get for your money.
If you don't believe me about the site, let me know when you are next in Worcs and I'll take you to see the bats at Croome Court.
Council planners seem to Excel in stupidity at times.
Colleagues plans in, knock down house to rebuild, but he has to build the garage with a bat roost on the plot first, problem being the site of the garage is under the house that needs demolishing
Anyway we have newts to save as well, don't get into an arguement with a newt lover
Colleagues plans in, knock down house to rebuild, but he has to build the garage with a bat roost on the plot first, problem being the site of the garage is under the house that needs demolishing
Anyway we have newts to save as well, don't get into an arguement with a newt lover
Good recent article on the issues with the bat mafia in Country Life
speedyguy said:
Council planners seem to Excel in stupidity at times.
At the end of the day they are little more than traffic wardens. I've been waiting for 2 months for planning to put in a stock fence to prevent animals wandering onto the road. I wish I was joking/ exaggerating. It would be nice if the advice they gave that I could put a fence in that was under 1m and not even bother applying was just a joke but it isn't. A 99cm fence no permission required, a 120cm fence full planning required. If this makes sense it's beyond me.
As for the flying mice, this was my first barn development. Somebody else who was doing one in future might use a leaf blower first to blast all the ledges and crannies, switch it to vaccum mode to suck it all up, then for good measure waft a blow torch along the ledges and crannies, and possibly have the roof off for good measure.
I held my head when the planning officer first visited the site. There's enough hard standing to park 20 artics - she parked so close to my car that she struggled to open her door. We had to submit 27 supporting documents with our build/renovation - including elevations and drawings of a post and rail fence. The clue being in the name...
skintemma said:
I held my head when the planning officer first visited the site. There's enough hard standing to park 20 artics - she parked so close to my car that she struggled to open her door. We had to submit 27 supporting documents with our build/renovation - including elevations and drawings of a post and rail fence. The clue being in the name...
If it wasn't true you'd have to make it up. Me "Hello I'd like to put in a gate off my field, do I need planning"
Planner "Ok can you describe the dimensions of the building"Me "It's a gate, it's not a building, just a wooden gate"
Planner "So what are the rough dimnesions"Me "About 10ft it's just a gate"
<sound of confused whispering in the backgound>
Planner "Is is new development"Me "Well there's already a hedge there I'd just like a gate in it, so I can get in and out but the sheep can't"
<more confused whispering in the backgound>
Planner "I think you'll need to do a full planning application"
Why is the housing supply inadequate in the UK, and why do we have the smallest most crowded housing in the Western world? Our planning system holds the anwer.
skintemma said:
I held my head when the planning officer first visited the site. There's enough hard standing to park 20 artics - she parked so close to my car that she struggled to open her door. We had to submit 27 supporting documents with our build/renovation - including elevations and drawings of a post and rail fence. The clue being in the name...
When you find a good planning officer its a revalation!I recall leaving one planning meeting, saying to my planning consultant "you carry on from here, because if I dont leave I'm going to punch the b
d!"We were on the 3rd re-design he insisted upon, at which point he confessed he hadn't even been to the site!
I had spent £50k at that point.
TBH bats are less of a problem than planning muppets
Buffalo said:
What's the fine for knocking down a building without undertaking a bat survey? After all a building is not natural habitat.
Criminal Offense under the Wildlife and Countryside Act - a criminal rercord even if you only get a fine makes many things a PITA.I am not sure that I really understand all of the complaints on here, I certainly dont recognise the scenarios in the Country Life storey.
Dealing with protected species on a development site is no different from dealing with any other development constraints like topography, contamination, listed buildings, TPS's, visibility splays etc. The list is long and each one should be part of the analysis of the project before you even go to contracts.
You assess the risk and take a decision accordingly, where people moan and complain I would suggest that generally they have not done sufficient due dilligence. The reports required are not really more or less onerous that any of the others required as part of planning. I agree they are a pain and a cost, but to go into any project without an idea of the costs and with out a contingency set aside is madness.
From the point pof first considering a development to the point of completing it, I can honestly say that in 20 years of development it never, ever costs less than you originally thought it would.
I see no mafia around badgers or bats or newts or orchids or nesting birds etc. I see only development constraints to be considered and managed. If the risks they present are too big, then go and do something else.
I view it as a load of expensive unecessary red tape which ensures that building houses, whether ones own or for general sale remains a relatively closed shop accessible to a few individuals with above average means, and the building trade, thus helping to ensure we continue to have a restricted supply of decently sized housing that people want, and ever more small/tightly packed estate housing developments which people don't really want.
I think the real restriction is green belt, but most of us appreciate green belt so that's not going to go away. A bat survey would be required by planning if there is any indication of bats in the area. This could come from planning department knowledge or information from any interested party aware of your application.
In your case you're only interested in getting an all clear report so you can contact as many qualified companies as you can and ask for their lowest quote. It's competition that drives down prices.
In your case you're only interested in getting an all clear report so you can contact as many qualified companies as you can and ask for their lowest quote. It's competition that drives down prices.
blueg33 said:
garyhun said:
I paid £170 for the Bat survey for the detached garage that's in my building plot.
Not bad for an hours work and a small report plus a load of indemnity insurance!
EFANot bad for an hours work and a small report plus a load of indemnity insurance!
i.e. if bats are later found on-site what's to say they didn't turn up later, after the survey was done?
Countdown said:
blueg33 said:
garyhun said:
I paid £170 for the Bat survey for the detached garage that's in my building plot.
Not bad for an hours work and a small report plus a load of indemnity insurance!
EFANot bad for an hours work and a small report plus a load of indemnity insurance!
i.e. if bats are later found on-site what's to say they didn't turn up later, after the survey was done?
You can be pretty sure that the local eco warriors will have noted bat presence
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