Bat Mitigation and Licensing at Former Tone Vale Hospital Site in Cotford St Luke, near Taunton, Somerset
jh ecological were consulted by The Robinson White Partnership on behalf of Tone MCC Developments to survey for protected species at the former Tone Vale mental health hospital site in Cotford St Luke.
Nesting birds including swallows and spotted flycatcher were identified nesting in the buildings and several species of bat were found roosting in the buildings, including summer and winter hibernation roosts of lesser horseshoe bats. Proposals for the site included development of the former hospital buildings to residential.
jh ecology worked with the project architects to design a mitigation strategy for lesser horseshoe bats that provided summer and winter roosting conditions within one structure. This involved the creation of a bat loft and bat basement connected by a mock chimney, providing bats with internal access between the loft and basement, and therefore retaining lesser horseshoe bat roosting sites, whilst allowing development works to go ahead. We obtained a European Protected Species Mitigation Licence from Natural England prior to development works commencing. We carried out monitoring visits whilst construction works were ongoing and found evidence of lesser horseshoe bats using the bat loft and basement, confirming that the bats had found the roosting sites and were not perturbed whilst works were ongoing. Features for crevice-dwelling bats were also incorporated into existing and newly constructed buildings to ensure that roosting sites suitable for brown long-eared, natterer’s, pipistrelle and serotine bats were also retained on the site.
We were on hand to advise the site contractors throughout the working phase and attended site acting as Ecological Clerk of Works during roof strips and building demolitions.