HISTORIC and traditional buildings have become vital to bats and without them many species could struggle to survive, conservation charities have warned.

Because of the loss of natural roost sites, bats have become increasingly reliant on old buildings such as cottages, barns and country houses. With rare and threatened species including lesser horseshoe, greater horseshoe, serotine and pipistrelle bats using buildings for summer and winter roosts, the bats’ survival is increasingly dependent on the way traditional buildings are looked after.

Unless bats are put at the heart of building work and traditional buildings are maintained, both face “an uncertain future”, it was warned.

Bat populations have been in decline over the past 30 years and legislation protects against roosts and colonies being disturbed, destroyed or blocked up. Dr David Bullock, head of nature conservation at the National Trust, said: “Bats are one of our most loved and fascinating mammals.

“Their reliance on traditional buildings – cottages, barns and country houses – raises the stakes when it comes to building and conservation work.”