Barns and other farm buildings are an attractive home to both birds and bats. They are usually situated in rural areas and are therefore likely to be close to favoured feeding sites. 

Bats may roost in any sort of building and different species will favour different places. Cracks in stone walls, gaps in timbers, open barns or simply an enclosed roof space are all areas some bats may use. When performing a barn conversion it is very likely that a survey for bats will be required before planning can be approved. It is very important to idenify accurately the species of bat present and whether they are using the building as a summer roost or a winter hibernation site. This will affect the timing of work and what features must be built into the design to allow the bats to continue to use the building.

There are several ways to accommodate use by bats, which will depend on the species present. A survey and appropriate mitigation can be produced by a licensed and experienced bat ecologist. If the survey is planned for early it can save the time and expense of changing plans after the application has been submitted. 

Any works affecting bats are likely to require a Habitats Regulations licence issued by the Welsh Assembly Government. 

Information on licences for protected species work is available on CCW's website under Licenses.

View more information on bats and bat roosts.

Barn owls (as the name suggests!) are frequently found in farm buildings. Their more natural nest sites in hollow trees are now very scarce and so they rely on these buildings being available for them to use. The birds are protected in law all year round but outside of the nesting season they are not so dependent on one location. Barn owls need a large area of suitable habitat around the nest site.  Therefore buildings where they choose to nest are very important and they may not survive if forced to move on. It is generally straight forward to accommodate a barn owl box or access to a roof space within a converted barn. Again, the presence of barn owls should be identified early so that they can be accommodated in architects plans. 

Other birds such as house martins and swallows may also use farm buildings. They and their nests are also protected during the nesting season and so work should be carried out after they have left. A variety of purpose made nests or nesting ledges can be easily included in a building design.

View more information on birds and bird nests.

The conversion of a barn may also affect the surrounding land. Improvements to access tracks, installing services such as water and electricity and access for construction machinery could all affect wildlife. The planning application should consider the impact on the surrounding land particularly trees, hedges and ponds. 

View more information on trees and hedges.

View more information of ponds.