Ecology and Protected Species Survey The Piggery Grimsthorpe Castle Estate Grimsthorpe Lincolnshire Issued to: Sebastian Miller Estate Office Grimsthorpe Bourne Lincolnshire PE10 0LY OCTOBER 2019 Malham, Washdyke Lane, Kirton Meeres, Boston, Lincolnshire PE20 1PW T: 01205 723342 M: 07833 674500 E: [email protected] W: www.inspiredecology.co.uk Company registration number: 8087266 VAT registration number: 994957340 The Piggery, Grimsthorpe Castle Estate October 2019 ECOLOGY AND PROTECTED SPECIES SURVEY THE PIGGERY, GRIMSTHORPE CASTLE ESTATE, GRIMSTHORPE, LINCOLNSHIRE Report to: Sebastian Miller Estate Office Grimsthorpe Bourne Lincolnshire PE10 0LY Report title: Ecology and Protected Species Survey, The Piggery, Grimsthorpe Castle Estate, Grimsthorpe, Lincolnshire Revision: Final Original issue date: October 2019 Amended: N/A Originated by: Alex Scurrah-Price Date: Assistant Ecologist 4th October 2019 Reviewed by: Andrew Malkinson Date: Associate 25th October 2019 Approved by: Ian Nixon Date: Director 25th October 2019 Inspired Ecology Ltd ii The Piggery, Grimsthorpe Castle Estate October 2019 ECOLOGY AND PROTECTED SPECIES SURVEY THE PIGGERY, GRIMSTHORPE CASTLE ESTATE, GRIMSTHORPE, LINCOLNSHIRE Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 2 METHODS ........................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Data search ............................................................................................................................ 2 2.2 Bats ........................................................................................................................................ 2 2.2.1 Preliminary roost assessment ............................................................................................ 2 2.2.2 Assessment of commuting and foraging habitats ............................................................... 3 2.3 Birds ....................................................................................................................................... 3 2.3.1 Common bird species ......................................................................................................... 3 2.3.2 Schedule 1 species ............................................................................................................ 3 2.4 Habitats and plant species ...................................................................................................... 4 2.5 Survey constraints and limitations .......................................................................................... 4 3 SITE ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................... 4 3.1 Location and grid reference .................................................................................................... 4 3.2 Building 1 ................................................................................................................................ 6 3.3 Building 2 ................................................................................................................................ 6 3.4 Building 3 ................................................................................................................................ 6 3.5 Building 4 ................................................................................................................................ 7 3.6 Building 5 ................................................................................................................................ 8 3.7 Building 6 ................................................................................................................................ 8 3.8 Building 7 ................................................................................................................................ 9 3.9 Northern Piggeries ................................................................................................................ 10 3.10 Site boundaries and surrounding habitat .............................................................................. 10 4 RESULTS .......................................................................................................................... 12 Inspired Ecology Ltd iii The Piggery, Grimsthorpe Castle Estate October 2019 4.1 Data search .......................................................................................................................... 12 4.2 Bats ...................................................................................................................................... 13 4.2.1 Preliminary roost assessment .......................................................................................... 13 4.2.2 Assessment of commuting and foraging habitats ............................................................. 15 4.3 Birds ..................................................................................................................................... 15 4.3.1 Common bird species ....................................................................................................... 15 4.3.2 Schedule 1 bird species ................................................................................................... 16 4.4 Habitats and plant species .................................................................................................... 17 5 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................... 17 5.1 Bats ...................................................................................................................................... 17 5.1.1 Legal protection ................................................................................................................ 17 5.1.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 18 5.2 Birds ..................................................................................................................................... 19 5.2.1 Legal protection ................................................................................................................ 19 5.2.2 Recommendations for common bird species.................................................................... 20 5.2.3 Recommendations for Schedule 1 species ...................................................................... 20 6 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 21 7 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................ 21 APPENDIX 1 ............................................................................................................................ 23 Plant species list ............................................................................................................................... 23 APPENDIX 2 ............................................................................................................................ 25 Data search results ........................................................................................................................... 25 APPENDIX 3 ............................................................................................................................ 26 Procedure to follow in the event of finding bats on site ..................................................................... 26 APPENDIX 4 ............................................................................................................................ 28 Bat boxes .......................................................................................................................................... 28 APPENDIX 5 ............................................................................................................................ 30 Bird box examples ............................................................................................................................ 30 Inspired Ecology Ltd iv The Piggery, Grimsthorpe Castle Estate October 2019 APPENDIX 6 ............................................................................................................................ 32 Barn owl mitigation ............................................................................................................................ 32 Photographs Photograph 1: View of the western elevation ......................................................................................... 6 Photograph 2: View of the western elevation ......................................................................................... 6 Photograph 3: Interior view the building ................................................................................................. 6 Photograph 4: Interior view of the southern end of the building.............................................................. 7 Photograph 5: interior view of the northern end of the building .............................................................. 7 Photograph 6: Interior view of one of the structures ............................................................................... 7 Photograph 7: Further example of the interior of one of the structures .................................................. 7 Photograph