Discussion
I have just received the planning docs for a house I was looking at which included outbuildings for conversion. There was a letter from the council about horseshoe bats in 2 parts of the site, including one site which is actually rented out as a bat nursery to a local bat group. They have a limted licence to disturb the roosts but it looks like the one nursey barn cannot be touched at all and that another can only be touched when the bats are not breeding, and that they have to be left or moved by a qualified bat handler ( I think to be reinstalled in the protected roof space after the work is complete). So,
Anybody have experience of working around bat colonies?
I like the idea of having the bats as there is plenty of space for them, but it strikes me that this PITA is worth some discount for having to wait until the nursey empties (with quite a tight eadline on the 5 year limiot for the planning permision), and then work in tight timescales and pay batman to remove, house and return them? The council warn it could take 12 months to wait for the right times and get the permissions, and the PP only has about 15 months to run although I guess they would be sympathetic to a renewal.
Anybody have experience of working around bat colonies?
I like the idea of having the bats as there is plenty of space for them, but it strikes me that this PITA is worth some discount for having to wait until the nursey empties (with quite a tight eadline on the 5 year limiot for the planning permision), and then work in tight timescales and pay batman to remove, house and return them? The council warn it could take 12 months to wait for the right times and get the permissions, and the PP only has about 15 months to run although I guess they would be sympathetic to a renewal.
Edited by Cogcog on Friday 7th January 09:12
Bats and their roosts are protected by law. As bats tend to return to the same roosts every year, the roosts are protected whether bats are present or not. Thus it is illegal to kill, injure or take a wild bat, or intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct access to a bat roost. Having bats in your roof does not mean building work, repairs or timber treatment cannot take place but you will need to contact the local Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation (SNCO) for their advice before you proceed, and then follow this advice which is free of charge.
In the early 70's my parents had bats in their roofspace. As this was before protection, the local builder smoked them out using sulphur candles. Myself and a few friends counted them all leaving, there were about 100. Saddens me looking back at it. Not sure how sad my mother was at the time though, as she had been bitten by one that was asleep in her dressing gown, could have been pretty nasty as they can carry rabies.
Edited by SwanJack on Friday 7th January 15:34
Bat Society say chances of a human catching the bat variety of rabies is 'miniscule' although qualified 'bat handlers' have to be have had the injections.
Seems you have to wait until they have all gone to semi-hibernate in the winter (which is often miles from the rost which is a summer haunt), do the work but leave their nesting sites in tact.
One room ( approx 6 x 4 meters which I guess is the nursery) cannot be touched at all!
Seems you have to wait until they have all gone to semi-hibernate in the winter (which is often miles from the rost which is a summer haunt), do the work but leave their nesting sites in tact.
One room ( approx 6 x 4 meters which I guess is the nursery) cannot be touched at all!
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