Landowners preparing to submit planning applications during 2013 must have established whether any protected wildlife species would be affected by their development in advance of the application being made. To do this a survey is needed, with May to September the optimum time period to undertake it. Missing this relatively tight window could delay any proposed planning application, property consultants have warned.

Crispin Mahony of Savills Estate Management explains, "Prior to submitting a planning application for development, the minimum requirement is a walk-over survey which must be undertaken by a qualified ecologist to satisfy planning validation requirements. This will show whether the land contains suitable habitat for any protected species which will then require a specific survey to be undertaken. It will also identify potential mitigation, which again can lead to time constraints on when development can occur."

This process can be complicated, with a great variety of species protected by UK and European legislation. Taking into account the various habitats for different species and varying times for hibernation, breeding or nesting, the five months between May and September are the best time to carry out a survey, with the majority of protected species active in some manner. However there are some species such as badgers and otters that can be surveyed all year. Guidance from Natural England gives details on habitats and species that include but are not limited to:

• Lakes, Rivers and Ponds – Otters, Water Voles, White Clawed Crayfish, Great Crested Newts
• Buildings – Bats, Birds and Reptiles
• Meadows – Bats, Badgers, Great Crested Newts, Reptiles
• Heathland – Badgers, Birds, Reptiles, Dormice, Natterjack Toads
• Grassland – Birds, Reptiles
• Woodland, Hedgerows etc – Bats, Badgers, Birds, Dormice

"As there are multitude of different habitats and potential species that may need to be surveyed," added Chris Rees, a planning expert, also at Savills, "Local Authorities are taking a much stronger line on requiring all of this information up front as opposed to having the work done retrospectively. As such, if you miss the required season, it could delay your planning application from being deemed acceptable from anything from six to eight months. I would therefore recommend that, if there is a possibility of a protected species habitat on a site earmarked for development, the landowner works with a planning expert and ecologist to ensure that all stipulations are met before making a planning application."