Holbeach Aldi, Surfleet Mermaid and Moulton park all plans that must pay heed to roosting bats
Proposed work to build an Aldi supermarket in Holbeach cannot be given the thumbs up until a European Protected Species Licence is in place due to evidence of roosting bats.
Planners have given the green light for Surfleet’s Mermaid Inn to be converted into apartments. Yet nothing can happen on the site until a bat survey has been completed.
It’s the same story at Moulton Park, where a bat survey appears to be one of the requirements keeping work on a possible play area from happening.
But why are these flying mammals having such a say in local developments?
Due to dwindling numbers, bats were first protected in 1981, the creatures and their roosts protected from disturbance or destruction.
And due to this status, surveys are needed to demonstrate whether bats or their roosts are likely to be affected by proposed developments before planning permission can be granted.
This means developers must have a European Protected Species Licence granted before work commences.
“In the CROW Act of 2001 the wording was changed to make it easier to prosecute someone who knows there’s a bat roost and goes piling in, like a developer, and demolishes a building,” explained Annette Faulkner, of the Lincolnshire Bat Group.
“There’s also something called the habitats regulations which is an EU thing which has been adopted into British law, so there’s a whole raft of legislation which actually protects bat roosts.”
Bat surveys are often carried out by a consultant ecologists who produce a report.
Often these reports are passed on to Mrs Faulkner, the county recorder for bats, for comment to aid with planning decisions.
“The way it works is that the report, survey has to be done as part of the consultation because that will identify whether a European Protected Species License is going to be required,” Mrs Faulkner continued.
“That can be put on as a condition (of development), that the licence has to be provided.
“If you have a survey done and identified there are bats resting there, the developers have to apply for this licence from Natural England to say they can go ahead, but there are certain things they need to do to make sure the bat roost is protected.”
Prior to 1981 bats - declining in numbers due to the drop in numbers of insects, which they eat - were classed as vermin.