Introduction
- Project description
- Redevelopment of the derelict Bispham Hall Brickworks site to housing.
- Ecologist’s name and contact details
- Victoria Burrows (ERAP Ltd) with advice from The Tyrer Partnership
- Planning authority
- Wigan Borough Council
- Brief site description
- Numerous buildings associated with Bispham Hall Business Park and redundant industrial buildings once occupied by the Bispham Brick and Terracotta Works. Surrounded by unimproved grassland, mixed farmland, semi-natural woodland, ponds and residential housing.
Pre-works roost structure
- Type of structure
- Building
- Use
- Industrial Unit
- Condition
- Derelict
- Approx. age
- 100+ years
- Main construction material of walls
- Brick
- Roof design
- Flat Roof
- Roof material
- Brick
- Internal roof structure
- Not Applicable
- Photos or annotated figures of roost structure
Pre-works roost description
- Species
- Brown long-eared bat
- Number of bats max count
- 6
- Type of roost
- Hibernation Roost
- Evidence of bats
- Bats Seen in Roost
- Roost location
- Gaps Around Window or Door Frame
- Aspect of roost
- N
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- 2
- Roost material(s)
-
- Nearest commuting feature
- Hedge
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- Not reported
Proposed works
- Description of works
- Former brickworks buildings were scheduled for demolition to create new housing. A Brown Long-eared Bat hibernation roost (6 bats) would be lost.
- Type of impact upon the roost
- Long-Term Roost Modification and Roost Loss
Proposed mitigations
- Type of mitigation
- Compensation
- Specific technical detail of measure
- Bat House: To use an existing brick kiln and enhance to create a bat hibernaculum To replicate conditions at the existing hibernation roost including roost position and temperature/humidity.
Achieved by monitoring the temperature and humidity at the brick kiln prior to enhancement to create roosting opportunities. Cleared the debris from the brick kiln and improved insulative qualities by installing a turf roof and bricking up one end of the kiln.
Size: 12.5 metres by 6 metres by 3 metres high
Materials: Brick.
- Relevant annotated figures
- Roost location
- Gaps Around Window or Door Frame
- Aspect of roost
- N
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- Not reported
- Roost material(s)
-
- Brickwork
- Nearest commuting feature
- Hedge
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- Not reported
- Photos or annotated figures of roost
Actual mitigations implemented
- Type of mitigation
- Compensation
- Specific technical detail of measure
- Bat House: To use an existing brick kiln and enhance to create a bat hibernaculum To replicate conditions at the existing hibernation roost including roost position and temperature/humidity.
Achieved by monitoring the temperature and humidity at the brick kiln prior to enhancement to create roosting opportunities. Cleared the debris from the brick kiln and improved insulative qualities by installing a turf roof and bricking up one end of the kiln.
Size: 12.5 metres by 6 metres by 3 metres high
Materials: Brick.
- Relevant annotated figures
- Roost location
- Gaps Around Window or Door Frame
- Aspect of roost
- N
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- Not reported
- Roost material(s)
-
- Brickwork
- Nearest commuting feature
- Hedge
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- Not reported
- Photos or annotated figures of roost
Monitoring data
- Length of monitoring proposed
- 3 years
- Frequency of monitoring
- Once every winter for three years.
- Type of monitoring
- Roost Inspection
- Date and time
- 1st January 2009
- Evidence recorded
- 1 Brown Long-eared Bat in hibernation.
- Internal temperature and humidity recorded
- 4.4
- Interventions made
- None reported
- Type of monitoring
- Roost Inspection
- Date and time
- 1st February 2010
- Evidence recorded
- No bats recorded
- Internal temperature and humidity recorded
- 4.4
- Interventions made
- None reported
- Type of monitoring
- Roost Inspection
- Date and time
- 3rd January 2011
- Evidence recorded
- 2 Brown Long-eared Bats in hibernation
- Internal temperature and humidity recorded
- 4.4
- Interventions made
- None reported
- Type of monitoring
- Roost Inspection
- Date and time
- 2nd January 2012
- Evidence recorded
- 2 Brown Long-eared Bats in hibernation
- Internal temperature and humidity recorded
- 4.4
- Interventions made
- None reported
Final details
- Lessons learned
- Better quality boundary fencing could be used to prevent vandal access and minimise risk of wind damage.
