Stable conversion, anyone avoided doing a bat survey?

[organicguy]

We have two stone built stables, tack room and trap house we are applying to convert.
Rather than waste money doing a bat survey we would like to spend the money on providing bat roosts. Has anyone convinced the planners to allow conversion without doing surveys?

We recently sold some barns around which we regularly saw bats but a survey showed no roosts so no roosts were put in the conversions. we would rather spend the money on some benefit!

 

[Still Farming]

What ever planning depts.require is what planning depts. want ?

 

[chaffcutter]

We ended up having to do a survey twice! We originally got pp to change our Stables into offices. When we decided the rural office market was overdone and decided to convert to residential for ourselves, because it had pp for offices we had to do it again! Also annoyingly we wouldn’t have needed full planning by then and could have done it on s Q!

 

[rusty]

When you look at what Bat surveys cost it makes you think you are in the wrong job.

 

[tullah]

So simple, just send two odd bods out with clip boards at dusk for an hour, copy and paste an official looking report and a bill for £1200. If there's a backhander involved then push it up to £3000

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Admirable thoughts but optimistic.

Better to get a report done, review and then get a second done with better results.

Even if nothing is found in the second the ‘local maps’ may show bats in the area so they tell you to carry out mitigation anyway.

No logic, fight fire with fire!

 

[teslacoils]

Always make sure you know what the expert is going to say, before you pay them to say it.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Always make sure you know what the expert is going to say, before you pay them to say it.

Let me know who you use please! Yet to find one like that, especially those who claim they are experts!

 

[farmerm]

It seems to me bat surveys are there to allow developers to avoid the need to install mitigating features in the development if bats are not present.. If a developer wishes to assume the presence of bats and install appropriate mitigating features that should really supersede the need for a survey.... Problem I suspect is their may be different requirements depending on what species are identified in the survey?

 

[br jones]

It seems to me bat surveys are there to allow developers to avoid the need to install mitigating features in the development if bats are not present.. If a developer wishes to assume the presence of bats and install appropriate mitigating features that should really supersede the need for a survey.... Problem I suspect is their may be different requirements depending on what species are identified in the survey?

Our planning inspectors will not acknowledge a planning application ,unless a bat survey is presented on application

 

[scottrac]

my advise after still going through the process is before you ring any ecologists get rid of them!!!!
We had 2 common house bats found in ours and the rules they were going to put in place were shocking
Depending on dates we were going to have to have an ecologist there when we removed a roof at ££££ per hour.
then covid hit and we're just getting going with it again,
Emailed him saying that if we put up bat boxes and take the roof off before april (when the bats come) then can we crack on.
Said no we have to have at least one more survey in april/may before we start work!!!!
I'm just hoping for strong winds before april and then the roof might fall off in the wind

 

[Doing it for the kids]

prevention is better than cure, light drafty buildings will encourage them to move out on their own accord.

I would be surprised if any application with out a survey would be accepted with a planning app. I am pushing my luck on a 3 x 6m shed it is light and draftee though.

as soon as you put up mitigation for one building that doesn't cut the mustard for any other surrounding ones either! different bats have different mitigation requirements. some like top floor apartment's with sea views. I once had to build a garage for a bat to live in in Wales so I could convert a barn where NO BATS WERE EVER FOUND! had to have a high spec, all but the kitchen sink to appease them!

 

[Still Farming]

Even if bats there ,they just say not to disturb in breeding season.