Bats and historic buildings

Abstract

Those responsible for historic buildings and structures often have to manage a diverse range of demands and expectations placed on them by various stakeholders who may not be equally supportive of efforts to conserve the historic significance of the building. However, one very rare and important group of stakeholders, with the law behind them, like the building just the way it is. The seventeen species of bats resident in Britain and Ireland and their roost sites receive total protection under domestic and EU law. All have been recorded in historic built structures, and some rely on roost sites in historic buildings for breeding. This article outlines the importance of historic buildings as bat habitats and how crucial it is that we use the same sensitivity and rigour to reach informed decisions which impact on bats as we would for built heritage.