Overview

The Bat Habitats Regulation Bill aims to improve bat habitat protection in undeveloped areas while reducing it in buildings where bats negatively impact users. This involves mandatory surveys before development and mitigation measures in some cases.

Description

This bill modifies existing legislation concerning bat habitats. It introduces two key provisions:

Enhanced Protection in Undeveloped Areas

Before new buildings or wind turbines are constructed on undeveloped land, a bat survey must be conducted. If bats are present, developers must provide artificial roosts (bat boxes) for each species found before the building can be occupied.

Reduced Protection in Buildings

The bill limits protection for bats in buildings used for public worship, unless their presence significantly harms building users. This overrides parts of the European Communities Act 1972, the Habitats Regulations, and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in these specific instances.

Government Spending

The bill's impact on government spending is not explicitly stated in the provided text. The cost of implementing surveys and enforcement is likely to be borne by developers, potentially indirectly affecting government revenue through planning processes. There may also be costs to government in administering the new regulations.

Groups Affected

The bill will affect several groups:

• Developers: Faced with additional survey and mitigation costs for projects near bat habitats in undeveloped areas.
• Builders: Subject to new regulations concerning construction in areas with bat habitats.
• Wind farm developers: Required to conduct bat surveys before wind turbine construction in undeveloped areas.
• Places of worship: May face potential conflicts if bat roosts cause significant disruption to users.
• Bat conservation groups: Could see either improved protection or reduced protection depending on the specific location and situation.

Powered by nyModel