Bat Survey Report: St Mary’s Association Club, former Argos building and adjoining Gale Cottage, Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland, structures, County Durham, DL13 3LT Tel: 01388 526978 Skinnergate, Fax: 01388 526978 email: [email protected] website: www.barrettenvironmental.co.uk Darlington February 2020 Company registered in England No. 5603818 Barrett Environmental Ltd Contents A Executive summary 2 B Introduction 2 C Survey and site assessment 4 D Impact assessment in the absence of mitigation 21 E Mitigation 22 F References 22 G Appendices 23 BE001238.011 Bat survey report Skinnergate, Darlington, February 2020 1 Barrett Environmental Ltd A Executive summary Barrett Environmental Ltd was commissioned by Darlington Borough Council to prepare a bat risk assessment of a complex of buildings on Skinnergate in central Darlington, which included the St Mary’s Association Club and adjoining former Argos retail unit. The assessment was informed by a data search from Durham Bat Group, daylight survey of the exterior of the buildings and a single dawn return bat survey to record bat activity. Proposals for the site are not known, but are presumed to include the demolition of existing buildings and construction of a range of mixed-use structures. There are no historic records of roosting bats at the Skinnergate site however several potential access points to typical roost features were identified and the daylight survey was constrained by lack of access to the interiors of the buildings. No bat activity was recorded at the site during a dawn return survey at the end of the bat survey season by 4 experienced bat surveyors but a single common pipistrelle was recorded close by before the start of the survey. The location of the site close to suitable foraging habitat, and presence of several potential access points for bats into the buildings render it a medium risk for use by roosting bats for which further surveys are required. The interiors of the buildings need to be searched for evidence of bat occupation and at least 1 additional bat activity survey is required to inform an impact assessment and mitigation strategy. B Introduction B1 Background to development Barrett Environmental Ltd was commissioned by Darlington Borough Council to prepare a risk assessment for the presence of roosting bats in a group of buildings along Skinnergate in Darlington. The survey area included the vacant former Argos retail premises, St Mary’s Association Club and adjacent structures. Proposals for the site were not available at the time of production of this report, but it is understood Darlington Borough Council is seeking to acquire the buildings with a view to demolition and re-development. The site is situated at grid reference NZ286144 and lies in the heart of Darlington town centre. Its location is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. BE001238.011 Bat survey report Skinnergate, Darlington, February 2020 2 Barrett Environmental Ltd Figure 1: Site location plan (adapted from MAGIC) Figure 2: Detailed location plan (adapted from MAGIC). BE001238.011 Bat survey report Skinnergate, Darlington, February 2020 3 Barrett Environmental Ltd B2 Full details of proposed works Details of the proposed works were not available at the time of writing this report, but it is presumed that all structures within the red line boundary will be demolished and the site redeveloped. Figure 3: Site boundary and survey area (drawing supplied by Darlington Borough Council) C Survey and site assessment C1 Pre-existing information on bats at the survey site Durham Bat Group holds the database for bat records in the county. The database was checked for the block of 25 Ordnance Survey 1-km squares centred on NZ2814. Grid Date Location Species & no. Status Square 1, Grounded NZ2613 / 338 Coniscliffe Road, baby bat; Presumed 2013 2713 Darlington species roost unknown 60 Hummersknott Soprano 2011 Avenue, Darlington Active roost pipistrelle NZ2614 / [NZ269143] 2714 112 Hummersknott 2012 Avenue, Darlington 2 Pipistrelle Roost [NZ269145] BE001238.011 Bat survey report Skinnergate, Darlington, February 2020 4 Barrett Environmental Ltd Hummersknott Avenue, 1 Common Bat in NZ2614 / Darlington pipistrelle building 2013 2714 No house number supplied, but reported that there is no known roost at this address. Beech tree at High Active roost Linhams, Bridge Road, 47 Noctule 1986 then Blackwell, Darlington Also a hibernation site – 21 Noctules in 1986 NZ2712 Species Active roost 2003 Farrholme unknown, no then count Former Blackwell Golf 2014 1 Noctule Feeding Club Roost 3, species 1988 20 Blackwell, Darlington status unknown unknown Roost known since at least as early as 1985 (when the count was NZ2712 / also 3) 2713 Sheraton Park, Exclusion 70 Pipistrelle Blackwell, Darlington requested 1998 Exact location uncertain – address not traced on map and grid reference incorrectly given as NZ275176 on original form Species Coniscliffe Road, Active roost 1990 unknown, no Darlington, [NZ277137] then count On the evidence of the droppings may be Whiskered/Brandt’s bats Elm Ridge Church, Roost Pipistrelle, no 1999 Carmel Road South, status count Darlington unknown Species Roost Woodvale Road, 2002 unknown, no status Darlington count unknown NZ2713 Record based on report by householder, not followed up A67 by Baydale Wood 1 Common Flight 2006 [NZ27536 13086] pipistrelle record From Bats and Roadside Mammals Survey, 4 July 2006 1 Common Grounded Elm Ridge [NZ273136] 2008 pipistrelle January record Cypress Close, 510 Soprano 2015 Active roost Darlington pipistrelle Woodburn Drive, 169 Soprano Maternity 2016 Darlington pipistrelle roost BE001238.011 Bat survey report Skinnergate, Darlington, February 2020 5 Barrett Environmental Ltd Elton Parade, Common Flight 2010 Darlington [NZ277140] pipistrelle Several passes West Cemetery, Common Feeding Darlington [NZ273140] pipistrelle 2013 “Surprisingly low numbers but weather quite cold” on 17 and 20 September Common Foraging NZ2714 St Clare’s Abbey, pipistrelle (“Several”) 2017 Darlington Foraging Myotis sp (“Several”) Elton Parade, 37 Whiskered / Active roost Darlington [NZ277140] Brandt’s 2019 Householder’s count. Roost known since 1986; maximum count 46 in 1991 DNA results from this site indicate the presence of Brandt’s bat Westlands Road, Bat in 1 Pipistrelle 1991 Darlington [NZ275156] house Probably brought in by cat Species Pierremont Road, Active roost unknown, no Darlington then (?) count 2003 Report from a member of the public: “a bat flew low over NZ2715 our heads and into a roost above the front bay window of my house” Brinkburn Dene, Species Flight Darlington unknown 2006 “There's quite a bit of bat activity in the Dene…” (From e- mail) Woodland Road, 2011 1 Pipistrelle Flight Darlington (NZ277152) Woodland Road, Species Flight 1985 Darlington unknown Bats flying over garden NZ2715 / Species 2815 The Denes, Darlington Flight unknown 2015 Mid-April record – “Saw several flying around the Denes in Darlington… while out for a walk.” Sandriggs, Darlington Active roost 97 Pipistrelle 2001 [NZ271162] then In 2011 reported by householders not seen since 2004 Bowen Road Allotments 1, species Foraging NZ2716 2009 [NZ273163] unknown Probably Pipistrelle Faverdale Industrial Common Flight 2015 Estate [NZ274167] pipistrelle “High levels of foraging activity” BE001238.011 Bat survey report Skinnergate, Darlington, February 2020 6 Barrett Environmental Ltd Faverdale Industrial Noctule Flight NZ2716 2015 Estate [NZ274167] “Intermittent foraging activity” Cockerton Grange Species NZ2716 / Feeding 1992 Farm, Darlington unknown 2816 Bats feeding along tree line Roost Harewood Hill Police Species status 1991 Hostel, Darlington unknown unknown Bat signs found while servicing boiler River Skerne, South Field 2007? Daubenton’s Park, Darlington records Common Feeding Blackwell Lane, pipistrelle Darlington Soprano 2007 Feeding pipistrelle Bats approached from north/northeast on each of two survey evenings 2009 South Park, Darlington 5+ Noctule Foraging Common Feeding pipistrelle Polam School/River 1+ Soprano Skerne Feeding 2011 pipistrelle Daubenton’s Feeding Common pipistrelle and Daubenton’s both recorded as NZ2813 “Few” Marlborough Drive, Species Apparent Darlington unknown roost 2013 E-mail from DBG member: “…a random query from a friend who says there are bats that come out of a chimney on Marlborough Drive in Darlington” Common Present pipistrelle South Park, Darlington Soprano Present pipistrelle Daubenton’s Present Common pipistrelle also recorded in South Park in 2007 and 2011 (“several”) and Pipistrelle [sp.] (“numerous”) in 2014 2009; Soprano pipistrelle also recorded in 2007; Daubenton’s bat also recorded in South Park in 2007, 2009 (“several”) and 2011 (“many – the highest number I have recorded here”). “South Park is one of the best places in the Tees Valley to watch bats and usually turns up Pipistrelles, Daubenton’s and other Myotis bats”. [Tees Valley Bat News, April 2007] BE001238.011 Bat survey report Skinnergate, Darlington, February 2020 7 Barrett Environmental Ltd Roost Pipistrelle (?), Parkside, Darlington status no count unknown NZ2813 / 2010 Identification based on photograph of one of two bats 2913 found in house on consecutive days in 2007. In 2011 householders reported bats had been present in 2010, but not in 2011 Roost British Home Stores, 4, species ? status Northgate, Darlington unknown unknown Queen Elizabeth Sixth NZ2814 Active roost 1989 Form College, Vane 56 Pipistrelle then Terrace, Darlington Stanhope Park, 2011 1 Pipistrelle