How Long Is an Ecological Survey Valid For?

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How Long Is an Ecological Survey Valid For?

Due to certain requirements during planning permissions, it’s common practice (and sometimes necessary) to hire an ecologist to conduct an ecological survey. However, it’s not always easy to know how long an ecological survey is valid for and whether or not you’ll need to book an ecologist to conduct a new one to ensure it’s all in date for any legal paperwork.

How Long Does an Ecological Survey Last?

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer as it depends on the survey conducted. Things such as the species, previous results, specific surveys and local authorities can all have an effect on how long your survey results are valid for.

Depending on your area, local authorities can sometimes request that a survey be conducted within the last twelve months. Therefore, if you are submitting planning permission, it may be worth checking what the recommendation is with your council.

How Long Does an Ecological Appraisal Survey Last?

An Ecological Appraisal Survey or Roost Survey are known as base surveys. Depending on what was found in the survey, the results can be valid for 18-24 months. However, as stated earlier, local authorities can set their own restrictions, meaning you may need to do this within the last twelve months.

How Often Do You Need to Do Bat Surveys?

For specific protected species surveys, the timeframe can also range. For example, a bat survey that may include an emergence survey and any mitigation requirements is only valid for the current season and the next.

A typical season is currently May – September, so if you do get a bat survey between that time, it is valid until the end of the following season. Meaning, you may not need a survey until May 2026.

However, if you need a license from Natural England, they can also request a more recent survey. Current changes within the industry are suggesting that changes are happening across the board to shorten the timeframe surveys are valid.

Do Each Species Survey Have Different Deadlines?

Each species has a different seasonality. As such, due to the nature of the surveys, each result has a different length of validity. For example, newt surveys can last between 2 – 4 years, depending on the results of the previous survey, whereas a bat survey only lasts for the current season and the next.

As there are so many moving factors when it comes to ecological surveys and planning permissions, it may be best to get in touch with an ecologist who can advise you further.

Get in touch with Greenlight today, who will be happy to answer any questions you have.