A loss of natural roost sites for bats means
that they have become increasingly dependent on historic and traditional buildings for both their winter
and summer roosts, according to a new report out today.
Bat
populations have been in decline for the last 30 years and – since 1981 - have been protected by strict
legislation which prevents disturbing, destroying or blocking access to any bat roost or colony.
Dr David Bullock, Head of Nature Conservation at the National Trust, said: 'Bats
are one of our most loved and fascinating mammals. Their reliance on traditional buildings such as cottages,
barns and country houses raises the stakes when it comes to building and conservation work. If considerations
about bats aren’t at the heart of any building work, and our old buildings aren’t maintained, then they
both face an uncertain future.'
A new report ‘Bats in traditional buildings’ - has been published by the National
Trust, English Heritage and Natural England to provide guidance and advice to architects, builders,
bat consultants and home owners on the practicalities of carrying out building work when bats or their
roosts are present.
The future survival of many species of bat is increasingly dependent on well-planned
and executed building work. Rare and threatened bats such as the lesser horseshoe, greater horseshoe,
serotine and pipistrelle bat use buildings for both their summer and winter roosts.
‘Thinking ‘bats’ from an early stage will help to avoid delays to building work
and allow any changes to be made to take into account their use of buildings' says Dr Bullock.
Dr Bullock added: ‘Bats and buildings can and should be able to coexist. As
their natural roost sites have been lost, traditional buildings have become vital to the lifecycle and
without them many species of rare and threatened bat could struggle to survive.’
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Case study
At the National Trust’s neo-gothic Tyntesfield house in Somerset
work has now started on major restoration project – this includes reproofing the roof, rewiring
and replumbing the main house and restoring and converting many of the estate buildings, Ten species
of bat can be found on the estate, eight of which roost in the buildings alone. Bats have been a key
part of the planning for this building work and the contractors are taking every care to work around
their needs with sound-proofed rooms for summer roosts, gaps in the freshly added mortar for them to
access roosts, and even carefully designed scaffolding bat flaps to help their flight paths. All
the work must be carried out around the bats hibernating and mating schedules. Martyn Evans from Ellis
& Co, one of the contractors working on the renovation at Tyntesfield said:
'Working with the National Trust means we have access to specialist
staff and advice on site - at Tyntesfield all my team got specially briefed by a bat expert and this
makes sure everyone has the basic information they need.’
'Working in buildings that are home to bats can affect project timescales and how
we carry out our work - it’s not often we are asked to leave gaps in mortar - but it’s part and parcel
of working on such lovely old buildings.’
Visitors to Tyntesfield will be able to see the bats via a new bat camera on site
and later in the year can join ‘bat walks’ on the estate.
The renovation work at Tyntesfield takes place in public view, giving visitors a
unique opportunity to see conservation in action and is funded by a £20m Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
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