Who is going to pay for the bat test and what if they are actually in your cavity wall?

2023-08-03 12:03:00

Where does this requirement come from?

The requirement that cavity walls may only be insulated if it is certain that there are no bats in them already existed. The flutter animals have a legally protected status. That is why the Council of State determined on Wednesday that thorough ecological research is mandatory before an insulation company is allowed to fill a cavity wall with balls, flakes or pulp.

Insulating a cavity wall is in line with the climate goals, because insulation saves energy. But the highest administrative court now says that the Nature Conservation Act must be strictly observed. Just drill a hole in the wall, what insulation companies do (especially to measure the cavity depth) is not enough.

Oh dear, what if I want to isolate?

An insulation company is therefore obliged to have an ecological investigation carried out. That costs roughly 5000 euros. An ecologist carries out a thorough, long-term inspection. That will take at least seven months, maybe a year.

This is necessary, according to ecological consultancy firms, because bats have an annual cycle in which they use various places to stay. So following a few months you cannot conclude that no bats will enter your cavity, a warm and safe place.

The nature requirement will scare off residents, the Home Owners Association (VEH) fears. The insulation itself costs regarding 2000 euros (subsidy is available), so a bat test can be called very expensive in relative terms.

Do residents have to cough up that themselves?

That is now the question – and the subject of discussion. Which research costs are reasonable, and should there be subsidy counters for ecological research?

Both the VEH and the Mammal Association are calling for municipalities to carry out and pay for bat inspections for an entire neighbourhood, so that many residents get clarity at once. A neighborhood approach can be useful, because there are relatively few ecologists to carry out bat tests house by house.

Some municipalities want to set up such a neighborhood inspection, but this approach is still in its infancy.

Is it necessary, this fuss regarding bats?

Nowhere does it sound: oh, don’t worry regarding a bat in the cavity. Because experts agree that there are regarding ten species of bat living in cavity walls in the Netherlands, from the common pipistrelle and serotine bat to the multi-colored bat.

“Victims of post-isolation have already been found for various species of bats,” says the Mammal Association, which emphasizes that the overall bat population is vulnerable and under pressure.

In the meantime it has also become clear that proper protection of bats, which crawl under roof tiles in addition to cavity walls, can slow down the climate approach. Because in 2030, 2.5 million existing homes must be insulated, the outgoing cabinet wants. Insulation also makes older houses suitable for further sustainability, such as the use of a (hybrid) heat pump, which replaces the gas central heating boiler.

You can of course also insulate in other places, such as under the floor or roof. But insulating cavity walls is one of the most important measures. Applying an insulating layer is less effective than filling cavities, and insulating interior rooms is complex and takes up living space.

The Mammal Association sees that awareness of the need for animal-friendly wall insulation is slowly taking hold. “Hurry is called for because the energy-oriented sustainability of our home ownership is progressing at a rapid pace. That is a good thing for the environment, but a major risk for building-dwelling animals.”

What if there really are bats in my wall?

Waiting a year for a pricey inspection is one. But what if the ecologist does indeed spot bats in the cavity: is insulation then impossible?

In a first response to the Council of State ruling, the Mammal Association points to the approach taken by construction companies if they have to deal with bats present during the (post) isolation of a district, and apply for an exemption for their activities.

The following applies: never kill or disturb, always trace or capture in an animal-friendly manner and offer good alternative hiding places, such as bat boxes. With the help of the municipality, the animals can even benefit if larger and natural habitats are skillfully created.

Such a pragmatic approach might also apply to insulation by private individuals. The government and the insulation industry can introduce ‘nature-friendly insulation’, whereby displaced bats retain local burrows. Because, says the Mammal Association: “Surely we don’t want to live in energy-sustainable houses and towns and villages, while the naturally occurring bats, birds and other animals have disappeared?”

Read also:

Insulate cavity wall? Do bat research first, and that is very expensive

If you want to have your cavity wall insulated, you must first have an ecological survey done to see if bats are present. Even though such an inventory costs a lot of time and money. This was stated in a ruling by the Council of State on Wednesday.

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