Introduction
- Project description
- Peckforton Castle Hotel is a prestigious Grade 1 listed building; however the Bell Tower and West wing remained in its original condition for many years but was due to be refurbished to create additional hotel accommodation.
- Ecologist’s name and contact details
- Stan Irwin - Tyrer Partnership
- Planning authority
- Cheshire East
- Brief site description
- Castle Hotel
Pre-works roost structure
- Type of structure
- Building
- Use
- Commercial Unit
- Condition
- In Use
- Approx. age
- 160 years
- Main construction material of walls
- Stone
- Roof design
- Pitched Roof
- Roof material
- Clay Tiled
- Internal roof structure
- Timber Frame
- Lighting present on site and its proximity to the roost
- Not reported.
- Photos or annotated figures of roost structure
Pre-works roost description
- Species
- Natterer’s bat
- Number of bats max count
- 81
- Type of roost
- Maternity Roost
- Evidence of bats
- Bats Recorded Emerging/Re-entering
- Roost location
- Other
- Aspect of roost
- SW
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- 10
- Roost material(s)
-
- brickwork
- Nearest commuting feature
- Woodland
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- Not reported
- Photos or annotated figures of roost
Proposed works
- Description of works
- To facilitate new guest accommodation, the existing roosts were retained but the light-sampling area reduced in height.
- Type of impact upon the roost
- Long-Term Roost Modification and Roost Loss
Proposed mitigations
- Type of mitigation
- Mitigation
- Specific technical detail of measure
- Creation of void above the guest room and adapt the exit/entry route. A ceiling was constructed, which retained the existing roosts and most notably the two barrel arches within which the bats were using for pre-emergence flight were also retained. The window at which bats exited/entered was modified to a reduced size (300mm high x 400mm wide) and was designed at a downwards angle to
facilitate a natural downward exit to nearby woodland and an upwards angle to allow a natural flight line into the created void above the room.
- Relevant annotated figures
- Roost location
- Other
- Aspect of roost
- SW
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- 10
- Roost material(s)
-
- Nearest commuting feature
- Woodland
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- Not reported
- Photos or annotated figures of roost
Actual mitigations implemented
- Type of mitigation
- Mitigation
- Specific technical detail of measure
- Creation of void above the guest room and adapt the exit/entry route. A ceiling was constructed, which retained the existing roosts and most notably the two barrel arches within which the bats were using for pre-emergence flight were also retained. The window at which bats exited/entered was modified to a reduced size (300mm high x 400mm wide) and was designed at a downwards angle to
facilitate a natural downward exit to nearby woodland and an upwards angle to allow a natural flight line into the created void above the room.
- Relevant annotated figures
- Roost location
- Other
- Aspect of roost
- SW
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- 10
- Roost material(s)
-
- Nearest commuting feature
- Woodland
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- Not reported
- Photos or annotated figures of roost
Monitoring data
- Length of monitoring proposed
- 1 year
- Frequency of monitoring
- one a month between June to August 2013
- Type of monitoring
- Dusk and Dawn Survey
- Date and time
- 6th June 2013
- Evidence recorded
- Total of 57 bats emerged following pre-flight activity within the void
- Interventions made
- None
- Type of monitoring
- Roost Inspection
- Date and time
- 11th July 2013
- Evidence recorded
- No emergence or bat activity
- Interventions made
- None
- Type of monitoring
- Roost Inspection
- Date and time
- 14th August 2013
- Evidence recorded
- Total of 42 bats emerged following pre-flight activity within the void
- Interventions made
- None
Final details
- Lessons learned
- Cooperation with owners, understanding their requirements & concerns and full gathering of data associated with the roost before applying for a licence.
