Introduction
- Project description
- Re-roofing project. The roof of the telephone exchange had deteriorated so renovation had become essential. This involved removal and replacement of tiles, roofing felt, fascias and soffits.
- Ecologist’s name and contact details
- John Haddow
- Planning authority
- Stirling Council
- Brief site description
- Telephone exchange situated on the western edge of Doune village, with woodland and farmland to north and west and modern houses and gardens to east and south.
Pre-works roost structure
- Type of structure
- Building
- Use
- Other
- Condition
- In Use
- Approx. age
- 1970s
- Main construction material of walls
- Block
- Roof design
- Pitched Roof
- Roof material
- Concrete Tiled
- Internal roof structure
- Timber Frame
- Photos or annotated figures of roost structure
Pre-works roost description
- Species
- Soprano pipistrelle
- Number of bats max count
- 800 to 1600 pipistrelles (varies from year to year), around 20 brown long-eared bats.
- Type of roost
- Maternity Roost
- Evidence of bats
- Bats Recorded Emerging/Re-entering
- Roost location
- Between Roofing Felt and Timber Sarking
- Aspect of roost
- SW
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- From 4m up to 6m
- Roost material(s)
-
- bitumenFelt
- Timber
- Nearest commuting feature
- Woodland
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- Not reported
- Photos or annotated figures of roost
Proposed works
- Description of works
- Re-roofing project. Retained existing roosts in refurbished buildings and timed to avoid the nursery period. Work was carried out from October once most bats had left.
- Type of impact upon the roost
- Long-Term Roost Modification and Roost Loss
Proposed mitigations
- Type of mitigation
- Mitigation
- Specific technical detail of measure
- After exclusion, roof materials were replaced with the same type as before. Access points were re-created where previously existed (for pipistrelles) and additional access created for brown long-eared bats.
- Roost location
- Under Roof Tiles
- Aspect of roost
- SW
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- From 4m up to 6m
- Roost material(s)
-
- Bitumen Felt
- Timber Roof Frame
- 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
- After exclusion, roof materials were replaced with the same type as before. Access points were re-created where previously existed (for pipistrelles) and additional access created for brown long-eared bats.
- Roost location
- Under Roof Tiles
- Aspect of roost
- SW
- Height of roost entrance (m)
- From 4m up to 6m
- Roost material(s)
-
- Bitumen Felt
- Timber Roof Frame
- Nearest commuting feature
- Woodland
- Distance to nearest commuting feature (m)
- Not reported
- Photos or annotated figures of roost
Monitoring data
- Length of monitoring proposed
- 2012
- Frequency of monitoring
- Once during the season following works.
- Type of monitoring
- Roost Inspection
- Date and time
- 2nd July 2012
- Evidence recorded
- The first droppings were noted in May 2012. Roost emergence counts in June and July. Numbers of soprano pipistrelles were lower than in previous years - maximum of 420 pipistrelles in early June, compared to 800 in June 2011. Brown long-eared bats have never been observed from the outside - the evidence is from droppings, and surveys in 2011 did not find this species present. The roof space has not been re-visited since work was completed.
- Interventions made
- None reported
Final details
- Lessons learned
- It is essential for the bat ecologist to be monitoring work as it progresses (this was done) to ensure all details are covered - in particular the design of the access to the roost, and to ensure appropriate materials are used. A great advantage to this case was that it was a well-known and studied bat roost.
For the soprano pipistrelles, suitable gaps were designed between soffit or fascia and wall to provide access in the same places as they used previously. Four roof access tiles were fitted to provide access for brown long-eared bats to the roof space without also permitting access by pipistrelles from the space under the tiles. These roof access tiles are manufactured by Summit Slates, Powys.
