Q. I'm interested in buying a derelict church building which I want to flatten before
building a house on the site. Although the church was abandoned by its worshippers a long time along, it does appear to have a faithful congregation of bats (in the belfry) and my architect has told me to get a survey to check whether the bats are roosting in the church. If they are, how would this impact upon my planning application?
A. Bats are a European protected species and it is a criminal offence to disturb or handle them without a license. As part of the planning process, Local Authorities must take measures which prohibit the deliberate capture, killing or disturbance of all protected species particularly during periods of breeding. These rules also oblige Local Authorities to protect against the destruction of bats breeding or roosting sites.
There are, however, some limited exceptions to these rules and it is possible to apply for a license to demolish a bat roost where, for example, there is no satisfactory alternative or it is in the interests of public health and safety to do so. It is therefore vital that you obtain a bat survey or report prior to submitting your planning application and, if that report confirms that bats are roosting in the belfry, then this will certainly affect the planning process and, as batty as it might seem, may even result in the Local Authority refusing your application.
