Bats sometimes turn up in places you might not expect to find them. The Bat Conservation Trust can talk you through what to do if you’ve found a bat and if appropriate, how to release it safely.  If the bat needs medical attention, they also have a dedicated team of bat carers and ambulance drivers who may be able to collect the bat. 

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Further details can be found here https://www.bats.org.uk/advice/help-ive-found-a-bat

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A European Protected Species Licence (EPSL) is a mitigation licence that can be obtained to allow activities to be undertaken that would otherwise be prohibited, without committing an offence.  EPSL are issued by the relevant Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation (SNCO), these are: Natural England (NE), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), Scottish National Heritage (SNH) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). 

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‘Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is an approach to development, and/or land management, that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was beforehand.’

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Biodiversity net gain delivers measurable improvements for biodiversity by creating or enhancing habitats in association with development. Biodiversity net gain can be achieved on-site, off-site or through a combination of on-site and off-site measures.

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Under the Environment Act 2021, all planning permissions granted in England (with a few exemptions) will have to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain from an as yet unconfirmed date, expected to be in November 2023. BNG will be measured using Defra’s biodiversity metric and habitats will need to be secured for at least 30 years.

BNG is additional to existing habitat and species protections. BNG aims to create new habitat as well as enhance existing habitats.

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