Our Ecological Consultants were instructed by one of our clients to undertake a survey and report at a Farm in Huddersfield.
The Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) was firstly undertaken and identified four buildings with High Bat Roost Potential (BRP), one building with Moderate BRP and one building with Low BRP which would be disturbed, damaged and/or destroyed during the development process. Further emergence and re-entry surveys were then carried out at both dusk and dawn to determine the presence/likely absence of a roost.
The bat scoping element of the PEA revealed numerous PRFs across several buildings, located across the site, with each building varying in the type and number of PRFs. Some of these could accommodate a high number of roosting bats and therefore, a roost of high conservation value. This resulted in four buildings deemed as having high bat roosting potential, one building with moderate bat roosting potential and a further building deemed as having low bat roosting potential.
No bats were observed re-entering or emerging from any of the six buildings that were surveyed. However, the proposed development would have an impact on biodiversity for wildlife by reducing roosting opportunities for bats. The low level of bat activity observed during the surveys suggests that the buildings are situated in an area not favoured by bats, so the impact will be minor.