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Protecting bats in the way of building houses
Last October, we submitted a planning application to knock-down and rebuild, along with a bat survey (as instructed by the planners). However, despite there being no signs of bats, the surveyor explained that these creatures could use a few crevices during the summer. Therefore he advised us that he and two other colleagues would have to come back in May.
I got in touch with the author of an American website about bats, who replied that if these were present, they would almost certainly be hibernating inside the structure. However, if none are visible in the attic or other storage cavities, then it’s fairly safe to assume the house is bat-free all year round.