Introduction
- Project description
- Creation of a hibernation roost for brown long-eared bats to compensate for the loss of a former brick kiln roost that had been created as part of an EPSM licensed project. Unfortunately the kiln roost had become unsafe and a modification to the licence and mitigation strategy was needed.
- Ecologist’s name and contact details
- Victoria Burrows victoria.burrows@erap.co.uk ERAP (Consultant Ecologists) Ltd
- Client’s name
- Miller Homes
- Site postcode
- WN5 7FR
- Planning authority
- Wigan Council
- Brief site description
- Surveys detected five brown long-eared bats were detected using the brick underarch of window apertures at a former brickworks building schedule for demolition and re-development to housing. The site comprised a number of derelict buildings on the edge of the greenbelt. The site is bordered by agricultural fields and also a large waterbody (the former clay extraction area for the brickworks which has since filled with water).
It was not feasible to retain the roost in-situ. A mitigation strategy was prepared that involved the conversion of one of the former brick kilns to provide suitable conditions for use by bats in the hibernation season. The works were carried out in 2007. Annual monitoring detected use of the converted kiln by at least 3 brown long-eared bats in the hibernation season. However, owing to the economic downturn the site was abandoned by the original housebuilder, It was then sold on and the new housebuilder received advice in relation to concerns on the structural integrity of the converted kiln. So Victoria Burrows at ERAP (Consultant Ecologists) Ltd needed to devise another mitigation strategy and compensatory roost to enable the brick kiln roost to be demolished (under the Natural England licence).
Pre-works roost structure
- Type of structure
- Other
- Use
- Other
- Condition
- Not In Use
- Approx. age
- 100
- Main construction material of walls
- Brick
- Roof design
- Domed Roof
- Roof material
- Brick
- Internal roof structure
- Not Applicable
- Lighting present on site and its proximity to the roost
- None - derelict site
- Photos or annotated figures of roost structure
Pre-works roost description
- Species
- Brown long-eared bat
- Number of bats max count
- 3
- Type of roost
- Hibernation Roost
- Evidence of bats
- Bats Seen in Roost
- Roost location
- Gap in Stone or Brickwork
- Aspect of roost
- NE
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- 1.5
- Roost material(s)
-
- Brickwork
- Nearest commuting feature
- Treeline
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- 50
- Internal temperature and humidity of roost
- 1st November to 22nd December 2017. Min 4oC Max. 11oC and Average of 6.3oC. Humidity at 95%
- Nearest artificial light source to roost
- Not known
- Nearest artificial light source to roost commuting route
- Not known
- Photos or annotated figures of roost
Proposed works
- Description of works
- Following concerns raised by ERAP (Consultant Ecologists) Ltd in 2014 with regard to the stability of the converted kiln and roost structure, a Structural Assessment survey was commissioned and carried out in July 2014 (Coopers Consulting Engineers, July 2014). Following the guidance advised in the report it became clear that future works (either extensive re-build or demolition) would be necessary at the kiln. A Natural England licence would be required to facilitate the works and therefore monitoring surveys were continued from 2015 to 2017 to ensure appropriate and recent survey data were available to inform a future Natural England licence application.
It is apparent, that the kiln is unstable and, in accordance with liability and public safety concerns it is proposed to demolish the kiln under a Natural England licence, preceded by the construction of a new replacement hibernation roost structure.
- Type of impact upon the roost
- Temporary Damage and Loss of Roost
- Relevant annotated figures
