Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA)

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Step 1: Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA)

This assessment determines the likelihood of bats being present and whether further surveys are required, ensuring your project remains compliant with wildlife legislation while progressing efficiently. Clear, practical recommendations are provided to help guide the next stages of your development.
Small sites starting from £600 + VAT.
For larger or more complex sites from £2,000 + VAT includes survey and reporting. Final costs in all cases will depend on the size, layout, and ecological complexity of the site. Rates exclude any mapping or data requests. We typically allow 30–40 days to complete both the survey work and reporting. However, we recognise that project timelines don’t always accommodate this, and we will always do our best to meet shorter deadlines where capacity allows.

Step 2: Bat Emergence Surveys

Bat emergence surveys are carried out at dusk to observe bats leaving a roost, helping to confirm their presence, species, and how they use a site. Using specialist equipment and experienced surveyors, we monitor key features of a building, structure, or tree to accurately record bat activity. These surveys provide essential information to inform planning, mitigation, and licensing requirements, ensuring your project proceeds in line with wildlife legislation while minimising delays.

Step 3: Licence (If required)

Where bats are confirmed to be present and a proposed development may impact them or their roosts, a bat mitigation licence may be required. This licence, issued by Natural England, ensures that works can proceed legally while safeguarding bat populations. We can support clients through the full licensing process, including survey data interpretation, licence applications, and the design of appropriate mitigation measures. Our aim is to ensure compliance while enabling projects to move forward with minimal disruption.

What is a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA)?

This type of survey is commonly requested by the council for small scale renovation and extension projects on residential properties, or as part of a larger Preliminary Ecological Appraisal. The assessment can be undertaken year-round and assesses structure(s) for suitability to support roosting bats and may recommend further bat surveys to determine presence or likely absence of protected species.

If bats are found to be present, a mitigation and compensation scheme will be produced considering the impacts of the proposals and may result in the need for a Mitigation Licence applied for and granted by Natural England to allow the works to proceed.

Can I Get a Bat Survey?

Yes, but there are two stages to this. A Preliminary Roost Assessment as part of a PEA (Preliminary Ecological Appraisal) or a standalone document which assesses the suitability of a building or tree to support roosting bats. The preliminary survey can be undertaken year round by a suitably qualified ecologist and will be graded as having negligible, low, moderate, high suitability to support bats or as a confirmed roost if evidence of bats is found.

The grading of the building dictates the likelihood of bat presence, however if bats are found to be present the survey effort should be sufficient to able characterisation of the roost type ( Breeding, hibernation, summer day roost etc) to determine the impacts to bats.

Bat surveys are constrained by season, and certain roost types need to be surveyed at certain times of year, so if required these need to be undertaken as soon as possible to prevent delays as bats cannot be surveyed over the winter period.

Ecology Survey Calendar

Protected Species Survey Calendar

Our Protected Species Calendar provides a clear, at-a-glance guide to the optimal survey periods for key protected species throughout the year. It helps identify when ecological surveys can be carried out for each species, ensuring work is planned efficiently and in line with seasonal constraints.

By highlighting key activity windows, the calendar supports better project planning, reduces delays, and ensures surveys are undertaken at the most appropriate times to meet ecological and legal requirements.

Get in touch

We’d love to hear from you. Whether you have a question about our services, need project support, or simply want to learn more about how Brindle & Green can help, our team is here to assist. We aim to respond to all enquiries within 1-2 working days. Fill in the form below or email info@brindlegreen.co.uk