Hi All
As you all know when inspecting, specifying work or carrying out tree work
you MUST take into consideration bat potential
really interesting article (click here) on habitat protection for bats.
personally I love the idea of this, and the law is clear - under the habitats
regs it is an offence to disturb bats - the place is not specified!! Which
means that should a bats habitat be significantly affected (i.e could affect
thier ability to survive, breed, rear young) a derogation (EPS) licence
should be applied for.
The Environment Directorate-General of the European Commission (EDGEC)
advises that Article 12.1 of the Habitats Regs should be understood as
'aiming to safeguard the ecological functionality of breeding sites and
resting places' i.e. if bats can no longer forage locally or readily commute
to other suitable foraging areas, then the colony/roost is at risk.
Natural Englands guidance note on EPS 2007 also backs this up - a licence is
suggested where danmage to the habitat of an EPS occurs.
Also PPS 9 recommends that where 'significant harm cannot be prevented,
adequately mitigated against, orcompensated for, then planning permission
should be refused' such a case might be the loss of the only commuting route
linking feeding habitat to roost.
Worth thinking about by anybody surveying or working on trees.... There is
further info at www.batsandtrees.com - sign up for further info and news
alerts Chris
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