Bat surveys in London
If your planning application in London changes a roof, a loft, an older building or a mature tree, your London borough council or the City of London Corporation may ask for a bat survey before it decides. We can introduce you to one vetted, licensed bat ecologist who covers your site in London.
Beatrice Vasey is not a bat ecologist. We introduce you to one vetted, licensed ecologist and are paid a referral fee by that business.
Planning and licensing in London
- Planning decisions
- Planning applications in London are decided by your London borough council or the City of London Corporation.
- Bat licences
- Licences for work affecting a roost are issued by Natural England.
- The law
- Bats and their roosts in England are protected under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, even when no bats are present.
- Local bat records
- Ecologists check which bats have been recorded near your site with a data search from Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL), the local environmental records centre.
- Local bat group
- London Bat Group is the local volunteer group that records bats in the area.
Where bats feed and travel around London
Bats follow dark, sheltered routes such as rivers, canals, hedgerows and tree lines to feed and move between roosts. In London, the River Thames, the Regent's Canal and the River Lea are the kind of places bats feed and travel through, so older buildings and mature trees nearby are more likely to need follow-up surveys after a preliminary roost assessment.
Survey types, seasons and costs
Most projects in London start with a preliminary roost assessment. On larger or greenfield sites, bats are usually covered first by a preliminary ecological appraisal, which checks for other protected species too. Emergence surveys only run from May to September, so book the assessment early in the year to keep any follow-up surveys inside one season.
| Survey | When it can be done | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary roost assessment (PRA) | Any time of year | £400 to £600 |
| Emergence surveys | May to September | £800 to £1,000 per survey |
| Bat activity surveys | April to October | Quoted per site |
| Hibernation surveys | November to March | Quoted per site |
Typical UK prices from Checkatrade's bat survey cost guide, last updated November 2024. Your ecologist quotes for your site.
Your bat ecologist in London
We pass each London enquiry to one vetted ecologist who covers your site, holds the licences Natural England requires and carries professional indemnity insurance. You get an email naming them before your details are shared, and they quote you directly. We are paid a referral fee by that business.
We also arrange bat surveys in Reading, Milton Keynes and Brighton and Hove.
Bat survey questions in London
Do I need a bat survey for a loft conversion in London?
Often, yes. If the work changes the roof or roof space, your London borough council or the City of London Corporation may ask for at least a preliminary roost assessment before it validates the application. The council's validation checklist sets out what it needs.
Who issues bat licences in London?
Natural England. If a survey finds a roost your work would affect, your ecologist applies to Natural England for a licence once you have planning permission.
Who can help with bats in my home in London?
London Bat Group is the local volunteer group, and the Bat Conservation Trust runs a national bat helpline. For a survey linked to building work or planning, use the form on this page.
Get a bat survey quote in London
Tell us where the site is and what's planned. Beatrice reads every enquiry.