“On Wednesday 29th July 2015 Mr Stephen Donald Taylor B26/05/60 of Berrow Green Road, Martley, Worcestershire, appeared before Redditch Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to unlawfully destroying the resting place of European Protected Species (a bat roost). The facts of the case were that in 2014 Mr Taylor purchased a property with a view to improving it and then using it as his place of residence. To support his planning application a bat survey was undertaken by a consultant ecologist which identified roosts by solitary common and soprano pipistrelles. The report referred to the need to obtain a licence from Natural England before undertaking work that would impact on the roosts.

Mr Taylor was fined £2300 with other further costs totalling £270. In imposing sentence the magistrates made the point that the fine was initially set at £3500 but had been reduced in order to take account of Mr Taylors guilty plea entered at the first opportunity.”

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Source: Bat Conservation Trust