One of the most frequent reasons for employing an ecologist is to carry out a Bat and Barn Owl survey in order to inform a planning application involving work to a building.
This will assess whether bats or Barn Owls are using the property and how to proceed with the application. Rarely does presence of these species prevent you from following your plans, but it may require work to be carried out at certain times of the year or features built into the building to allow egress; in some circumstances it may be necessary to apply for a Natural England mitigation license. Mark can help you with all aspects of this work, is appropriately licensed and has held development licenses for most of the British bat species.