So you have decided to opt for a loft conversion. The next step is to investigate a little further to get some loft conversion ideas. You venture up to your loft and what do you find? A family of bats who have decided that your home will make the perfect place for them to bring up their family.
What do you do?
All bat species are legally protected. Domestic and international legislation ensures that this is the case. So, you can’t simply turf the bats out. Doing so would mean you are committing an offence.
It is an illegal offence if you:
- Capture, injure of kill a bat
- Intentionally destroy their home or disturb them
- Exchange or sell a bat, whether dead of alive
- Intentionally obstruct access to a bats roost
If you are about to embark on a loft conversion then it is important that you know what to do next. Without the right advice and help you could damage a bats roost without realising.
Just because bats are roosting in your loft doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad news for your building project. If you notice them from the start then it is far easier to have them taken care of.
If you find the bats whilst building work has started then the work will need to stop immediately.
The best thing to do is to contact your Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation (SNCO) who will help advise you on what is the best thing to do next. They will be able to arrange a roost visit and take the next steps.
Don’t forget, if you are planning on a loft conversion why not contact us at Topflite Loft Conversions to get a free quote?