Protected Species Surveys

David Watts Associates specialise in surveys for protected species in relation to planning and development, including bats, badgers, great crested newts, reptiles and birds.

Bat Surveys

A Bat Survey is usually required for planning applications affecting trees, buildings and other artificial structures. Bat surveys can either be carried out alone, particularly for developments only affecting existing buildings, or as part of a wider Ecological Assessment.

The initial stage of any bat survey is a Bat Scoping Survey. This includes a detailed inspection of the building during the day, and is supplemented by a desk based study. A Bat Scoping Survey can be carried out at any time of year, and for buildings with limited potential for roosting bats, is usually sufficient for planning permission.

If the scoping survey identifies signs of bats or habitat suitable for bats, then a Bat Activity Survey is usually required. This includes between one and three site visits, during which the building is surveyed for emerging and re-entering bats at dusk or dawn. Bat Activity Surveys can be carried out between May and September.

For trees with potential for roosting bats, we provide more detailed aerial tree inspections, whereby trees are climbed potential roost features are inspected for bats or signs of bats.

If bats are found to be present, and if impacts are unavoidable, a Natural England licence is usually required to ensure that works can go ahead. We have extensive experience of mitigation licensing, and can provide further advice to ensure that works can go ahead.

Badger Surveys

Badger Surveys are often required when a potential development can affect badgers. Badgers are protected under their own specific legislation, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. 

The initial stage of a badger survey consists of a walkover site survey. This is usually carried out as part of a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, whereby the ecological value of the site as a whole is appraised. Badger Surveys can be carried out at any time of year, although the optimum time to survey for field signs is between February to April and in October, and the optimum time to survey for setts is in winter, when setts are less hidden by vegetation.

Great crested Newt Surveys

Great crested newts can often be a constraint to development, as it is not only the breeding ponds which can be impacted, but the terrestrial habitat surrounding ponds. Therefore developers can be asked to demonstrate potential impacts upon great crested newts for developments within 500 m of any ponds. 

The first stage of a great crested newt survey is a walkover survey, which can be undertaken at any time of year. our surveyors are able to assess ponds and the surrounding habitat to determine if the habitat is suitable for great crested newts. 

For ponds with suspected presence of great crested newts, presence/absence surveys are undertaken. This usually involves four site visits between mid-March and mid-June, using methods of bottle trapping, torchlight searching and egg searching. Alternatively, in some instances eDNA sampling can be used, which provides a fast and effective of determining great crested newt presence/absence in ponds. 

Reptile Surveys

Reptile surveys are often required as a planning condition when a site provides suitable habitats for reptiles. There are six species of reptile which are legally protected in the UK, including three species of snake: adder, smooth snake and grass snake; and three species of lizard: common lizard, sand lizard and slow worm. 

The suitability of a site for reptiles is initially assessed by a walkover survey, usually carried out as part of an Ecological Assessment. If a site is deemed to provide suitable habitat for reptiles, a reptile presence/absence survey is recommended.

A reptile presence/absence survey consists of two main techniques: the use of artificial refugia - whereby metal sheets and felt mats are placed on the site and then periodically checked - and a visual search. The optimal time to survey for reptiles is in spring and autumn. Reptile surveys cannot be carried out between November and February, when reptiles are hibernating.

Bird Surveys

Bird surveys are often required for development proposals that affect habitat suitable for wild birds. This can include breeding bird surveys, to assess the potential impacts of any development in regard to bird species, or nesting bird checks immediately prior to the commencement of development works during the nesting bird season (usually 1st March - 31st August).