Costly Delays avoided by early identification of roosting bats and subsequent exclusion in Coventry’s largest multi-storey buildings.
Wharton Natural Advisors: Matt Wall, Senior Ecology Consultant
Scale of project:
Identification and exclusion of roosting bats before the demolition of Coventry’s largest Multi-storey buildings
Deliverables:
Preliminary roost assessment (PRA)
Roost Characterisation Surveys
Protected Species Licence Application
Nesting Birds Assessment
Overview:
The demolition site in Coventry was a potential home to roosting bats and nesting birds. Wharton was commissioned in the early stages to carry out Preliminary Roosting Bats and Nesting Birds Assessments.
Upon inspection Matt Wall, our Senior Ecologist, found no evidence of roosting bats, however deemed both buildings to have low and moderate suitability for them. Further surveys were needed to determine the presence or absence of bats, andit was found that a low number of Common Pipistrelle were observed within both buildings and roosting behind large concrete wall panels.
The constraints were immediately communicated to the client, and further to this mitigation measures were submitted with the planning application and permission was granted. A Bat Low Impact Class Licence (BLICL) was approved by Natural England a few days later. This then led to the successful exclusion of the bats and fitting replacement roosts to the exterior of a retained portion of the building.