Abstract
This guidance has been drafted to form an individual chapter of the revised Bat Surveys Good Practice Guidelines. It can form a stand alone document, but will also be incorporated into the 2nd edition. It is intended for all types of onshore wind farm for which bat surveys are required, from single to multi-turbine developments.
Although the guidance covers both single large (> 250kw) wind turbines and wind farms (multiple large wind turbines), it is important that any assessment considers the scale of the likely impacts and takes a proportionate approach. The impact of a single large wind turbine may differ from that of a large multiturbine wind farm, not only regarding the likely direct impact on bats, but also because of the area of habitat affected and the infrastructure required. The relatively lower risk of a single, or small number of turbines needs to be balanced against the suitability of the site for bats (e.g. proposals for a single turbine in an area of high bat activity or preferred foraging habitat could pose a greater risk than several turbines in an area of low or no bat activity). Offshore wind farms and micro-turbines are excluded from this guidance, although brief reference is made to them.