If you’re planning or involved with works or pest control to a building with a bat roost, or you are experiencing issues associated with a bat roost, there is help available. Some advice is available online for free. If your situation is not covered by our online advice, you should seek personalised advice. This will help ensure that you stay within the law.
There are two types of advice available for roost owners in the UK:
- Free advice service from your Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation
- Advice from ecological consultants
Free advice service from the Statutory Nature Conservation Organisations (SNCOs)
The SNCOs are public bodies sponsored by the government (one for each country of the UK). They can often advise roost owners on how to carry out work in a way that doesn’t require a licence. This may involve an expert visiting the roost to find out more about the bats. The SNCOs’ advice is free of charge, but is limited to certain buildings and certain types of work. It is also not possible to guarantee how long the advice will take.
Advice from ecological consultants
Ecological consultants, also known as ecologists, are private contractors who will carry out surveys and advise you in exchange for a fee. They can help with all types of buildings and work, including work that may require a licence. Some people start out receiving advice from their SNCO, but are then referred to a consultant because the work is too complicated or a licence is needed.
If you’re a contractor
If you’ve been asked to carry out work on a building with a bat roost, or if you see evidence of bats during an inspection, please refer the owner or manager of the building to this web page and ask them to seek advice from the appropriate service. A roost owner who has received advice should be able to give you a written copy. To protect yourself and ensure that you stay within the law, we recommend that you do not agree to work on a bat roost without seeing this.
