Brindle & Green Ecological Consultants Ltd ECOLOGISTS FOR BUSINESS www.brindlegreen.co.uk TEL: 0800 222 9105 Planning Services Peak District National Park Authority c/o Mr K Clayton Acumen Designers and Architects Ltd Headrow House Old Leeds Road Huddersfield HD1 1SG 10th January 2018 FAO: Mr John Scott RE: BG17.320 (Adaption of stables to form holiday accommodation NP/HPK/1015/0926, Park Hall Manor, Little Hayfield, Glossop, SK22 2NN) – Ecological Method Statement Dear John, I write to provide you with an ecological method statement pertaining to bats following emergence surveys undertaken at Park Hall Manor, Little Hayfield in order to discharge condition 6, associated with planning application NP/HPK/1015/0926, which stated: “No development shall take place until full details of an Ecological Method Statement have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. These details shall include: • Details of a working method statement to show how the proposed works will be undertaken in a manner that minimises the potential disturbance to bats and safeguards the value of the roost. • Details of bat friendly lighting, demonstrating avoidance of light spill onto roosts and provision of dark corridors for commuting bats. • Details of wildlife friendly planting and other ecological enhancements as deemed appropriate.” Summary Brindle & Green were commissioned by Leon Van Tonder to undertake bat emergence/re-entry surveys on a single storey stable block known as ‘The Stables’ at Park Hall Manor, Little Hayfield, prior to the buildings conversion into a residential dwelling. The bat surveys were undertaken during July, August and September 2015. The purpose of the bat surveys was to determine whether bats were using ‘The Stables’ building as a roosting site and to assess the level and type of bat activity on site. The bat surveys revealed evidence of two myotis species day roosts, thought to be Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii). Furthermore, five bat species were recorded during the three surveys including Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), Soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus), Daubenton’s Bat, Leisler’s Bat (Nyctalus leisleri) and Common noctule (Nyctalus noctula). The level of activity was considered to be low to moderate and bats were thought likely to be using the linear habitat features of the mature woodland and buildings on site to guide commuting efforts to wider connective habitat. Background The site is the subject of a full planning application for the conversion of the existing building into a residential dwelling. It is understood that the converted building will be used as holiday accommodation. An initial Ecological Appraisal of the site was undertaken by Brindle & Green on 7th July 2015. This appraisal Brindle & Green Ecological Consultants Ltd, Unit 3, Silverhill Court, Radbourne, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 4LY Registered in England Company No. 8174516 Brindle & Green Ecological Consultants Ltd ECOLOGISTS FOR BUSINESS www.brindlegreen.co.uk TEL: 0800 222 9105 identified evidence of bat feeding remains within the internal loft space of the single storey building referred to as ‘The Stables’. As a result, the building was awarded high suitability to support roosting bats (Appendix 1) and further bat emergence/re-entry surveys were recommended. Three further surveys were subsequently carried out during July, August and September 2015. Aim of the Bat Emergence/Re-entry Survey All bat species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and Habitat Regulations (2017) making it an offence to, intentionally kill, injure, or take any species of bat, intentionally or recklessly disturb bats, intentionally or recklessly damage destroy or obstruct access to bat roosts. The aim of the bat emergence/re-entry survey was to establish whether bats were roosting within ‘The Stables’, to inform the client of any ecological impacts of the proposed works with regards to bats, to summarise any necessary mitigation measures and to ensure the client works within the law. Methodology Bat surveys were conducted according to methodologies outlined within Natural England’s Bat Mitigation Guidelines (Mitchell-Jones, 2004) and the Bat Conservation Trust Good Practice Guidelines (Colins, 2016). The dusk surveys began 15 minutes before sunset and lasted for two hours following sunset, and the dawn survey began an hour and a half before sunrise and were completed 15 minutes following sunrise. During the surveys, surveyors operated an Echo Meter Touch detector connected to an iPad. Where possible, species were identified using information from visual and audio cues; all sonograms were recorded onto the iPad and were analysed using Analook software to confirm species identification. All bat passes, including time and species, were recorded on to field maps, noting direction of flight and emergence. Where possible, the number of individuals observed and behaviour of the bat was also recorded, including foraging, commuting and social calling behaviours. Bat Emergence/Re-entry Survey Results Two dusk emergence surveys were carried out on 5th August 2015 and 3rd September 2015 and a single dawn re-entry survey was undertaken on 21st July 2015. During the dawn re-entry survey on 21st July 2015 two Myotis bats, likely to be Daubenton’s bat were seen entering ‘The Stables’ building at two different locations, namely, under a roof tile in the southwest corner of the south-eastern elevation of the building and under a ridge tile along the north-western aspect of the building. During the dusk emergence survey on 5th August 2015, two Myotis bats. likely to be Daubenton’s bat, were recorded emerging from the same two locations and during the final dusk emergence survey on 3rd September 2015 a single Myotis bat, thought to be a Daubenton’s Bat, was observed emerging from beneath a roof tile in the southwest corner of the south-eastern elevation of the building. Both roost locations were classified as day roosts where individual bats, or small groups of males, rest or shelter during the day. Bats were recorded using the surrounding habitat features for commuting and foraging purposes. Both common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle species appeared to favour the foraging opportunities along the trees to the north and west of ‘The Stables’ building. Brindle & Green Ecological Consultants Ltd, Unit 3, Silverhill Court, Radbourne, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 4LY Registered in England Company No. 8174516 Brindle & Green Ecological Consultants Ltd ECOLOGISTS FOR BUSINESS www.brindlegreen.co.uk TEL: 0800 222 9105 A total of five bat species were recorded during the three surveys carried out on ‘The Stables’ building including Common pipistrelle, Soprano pipistrelle, Daubenton’s Bat, Leisler’s Bat and Common noctule. The level of activity was considered to be low to moderate. Bats are likely to be using the linear habitat features of the mature woodland and buildings on site to guide commuting efforts to wider connective habitat. Mitigation Measures Roost mitigation Two Myotis species, thought to be Daubenton’s Bat, day roosts were identified within the ridge and roof tiles of ‘The Stables’ building. Each of the day roosts were found to support an individual Myotis species bat. The recommendations outlined below suggest mitigation work aimed at reducing the impact upon this protected species. These works can take place at any time, however should ideally take place over the winter period (between October and April) when the building is considered to be unsuitable to support this species. • Natural England Development Licence A European Protective Species development licence from Natural England is to be applied for. This will include a method statement produced by a suitably qualified ecologist. • Installation of temporary bat boxes Install 2 x temporary bat boxes (2FN Schwegler Bat Box) on the southern face of two of the mature trees located to the north and west the building. Any bats found during the following exclusion and/or soft stripping works to be transferred to these boxes by hand. • Install exclusion devices Where possible, the installation of one-way excluders will be undertaken prior to the permanent blocking of access points to known roost sites on ‘The Stables’. Excluders also to be installed on potential access points for crevice-dwelling bats on ‘The Stables’. Devices to remain in-situ for a period of five nights where weather conditions are favourable for bat activity. Period to be extended should unfavourable weather conditions occur. • Capture exercise during soft stripping of roofing features Bat roosting features should be soft stripped under the supervision of the Named Ecologist. Should bats be encountered during soft stripping then they will be captured by hand and relocated to pre- installed temporary bat boxes. Once all bat roosting features have been stripped, checked and structures made unsuitable for roosting bats the building can be declared free of bats and the development process can proceed without ecological supervision. Temporary bat boxes to remain in place during this period. • Creation of compensatory habitat Permanent compensatory bat roosting habitat to comprise of two Bat Tiles (such as a Habibat Bat Access Slate) incorporated within the north-western and south-eastern elevations of the renovated building. Brindle & Green Ecological Consultants Ltd, Unit 3, Silverhill Court, Radbourne, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 4LY Registered in England Company No. 8174516 Brindle