Winshill Primary School Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire Preliminary Roost Assessment Report No. P120.T22.19 Date: 30 September 2019 Josh Bowler BSc (hons) Trust Ecology Flat 3 Maws Craft Centre, Jackfield, Shropshire TF8 7LR Tel: 01952 877861 Email: [email protected] Website: http://trustecology.co.uk Project Winshill Primary School Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire Preliminary Roost Assessment Date: 30.09.2019 Description: Preliminary Roost Assessment to consider potential impacts to bats in relation to a proposed classroom extension Client Details Sally Platt, Principal Architect (Feasibility and Development) Property Services Entrust Author Josh Bowler BSc (Hons) Checked by Holly Bowler BSc (Hons) This report must not be reproduced other than in full and should be read in its entirety. This report remains copyright of Trust Ecology. While the surveyor makes every reasonable effort, Trust Ecology cannot guarantee that all protected species have been identified and survey results are definitive. Preliminary Roost Assessment 2 Winshill Primary School (Report P120.T22.19 rev 01) Table of Contents Page Non-technical Summary 4 i. Introduction 5 ii. About This Report 5 iii. Methodologies 5 iv. Desk Study 6 v. Results of Preliminary Roost Assessment 7 vi. Roost Suitability & Potential Impacts 7 vii. Recommendations 8 viii. Bibliography 9 Annex 1: Plates 11 Annex 2: Existing vs. Proposed Plans 14 Annex 3: Desk Study Data 16 Annex 2: Relevant Wildlife Legislation Summary 19 Annex 3: Bat Friendly Planting 20 Figures Figure 1: Existing site plan 14 Figure 2: Proposed site plan 14 Figure 3: Existing vs proposed east elevation 15 Tables Table 1: Surveyor Experience and Bat Licenses 5 Table 2: Summary of Survey Methodologies 5 Table 3: Potential Impacts 8 Table 4: Further Survey & Licensing 8 Table 5: Mitigation Hierarchy 8 Plates Plate 1: Views of east elevation where eXtension is proposed 11 Plate 2: Views of the tree (T3) proposed for removal 12 Plate 3: Views of west elevation where shade canopy to be re-located 12 Plate 4: Internal view of school hall with no loft void 13 Preliminary Roost Assessment 3 Winshill Primary School (Report P120.T22.19 rev 01) Non-technical Summary • On the 19th September 2019, Trust Ecology undertook a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) at Winshill Primary School, Burton-on-Trent as commissioned by Sally Platt, Principal Architect (Feasibility and Development) for Entrust Property Services. • The survey was requested to inform pre-application planning advice on a proposal for construction of a single-story classroom extension on the eastern aspect of the existing building. The proposal requires the removal of a single leylandii tree (T3) and the relocation of a shade canopy to an area on the west of the existing building. • Winshill Primary School is located in Winshill, a suburb to the northeast of Burton- on-Trent in the borough of East Staffordshire near the border with South Derbyshire; the school is surrounded by residential areas, but pasture, arable with scattered trees, woodland and hedgerow lie within 275m of the school to the north and east. The River Trent is 1.25km to the west. • There are no records of bats using the site, but there are records of siX bat species within 2km of the site. • All potential bat roost and/or bat access habitats that would be impacted by the proposal (where accessible) were subject to survey; this included roofing felt, soffit boxes, brickwork, door/window frames and adjacent trees. An internal inspection of the pitched-roofed school hall where the extension would tie in was conducted, but no loft was present and other affected sections of building were flat-roofed. • The thorough inspection found no bats or evidence of their presence, either recent or historic, in any gaps in the impacted sections of the building’s structure at the time of the survey. Nevertheless, there remains a very low risk that an opportunistic bat could seek shelter between the time of the survey and the start of works. • Bat roost potential of affected features/structures was found to be negligible. Given the small-scale nature of the proposal and of affected features, and taking into account the suitability of buildings throughout the wider area, the risk of bat presence is negligible to very low. • The leylandii proposed for removal offers potential bird nesting habitat. • The proposal should result in a negligible impact on bats as long as a precautionary approach is taken; based on these findings, no EPS mitigation licence is required. • The proposal could potentially impact nesting birds; this can be mitigated through appropriate timing of works or a pre-works breeding bird check. • To reduce the likelihood of negative impacts to bats and nesting birds, recommended reasonable avoidance measures and working methods should be followed (Section vii). • No further survey is considered necessary or proportional given the findings and small-scale nature of the proposal. • Suggested enhancements for bats such as bat-friendly planting and the installation of bat boxes and bird boxes are provided in Section vii. Preliminary Roost Assessment 4 Winshill Primary School (Report P120.T22.19 rev 01) i. Introduction: On the 19th September 2019, Trust Ecology undertook a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) at Winshill Primary School, Burton-on-Trent as commissioned by Sally Platt, Principal Architect (Feasibility and Development) for Entrust Property Services. The survey was requested to inform pre-application planning advice on a proposal for construction of a single-story classroom extension on the eastern aspect of the existing building. The proposal requires the removal of a single leylandii tree (T3) and the relocation of a shade canopy to an area on the west of the existing building. AnneX 2 illustrates the eXisting versus the proposed plans. Winshill Primary School is located in Winshill, a suburb to the northeast of Burton-on-Trent in the borough of East Staffordshire approximately 275m from the border with South Derbyshire; the school is surrounded by residential areas, but pasture, arable with scattered trees, woodland and hedgerow lie within 275m of the school to the north and east. The River Trent is 1.25km to the west. ii. About this Report: This report outlines the methodologies and results of the Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) carried out in order to assess impacts from the proposal, where it is possible to do so at this stage, and make relevant recommendations for any actions needed such as additional survey, mitigation, etc., if applicable. iii. Methodologies: The survey was carried out by an experienced, licensed ecologist as detailed in Table 1 below. Table 1: Surveyor Experience and Bat License Ecologist Bat Survey Licence Held Relevant Experience Josh BoWler BSc Bat (Level 1) 2015-12371-CLS-CLS 19 Years Survey methodologies are summarised in Table 2 below. Table 2: Summary of Survey Methodologies Survey Appropriateness of Methods Geographical extent details Timing: Suitable (Anytime) Areas to be affected by the In accordance with established proposed development. guidance [(BCT, 2016), (Mitchell-Jones Preliminary et al, 2004)] Roost Date: 19.09.19 Assessment Methods: Detailed eXternal/internal daytime inspection of affected areas of the building for evidence of bats; overall assessment of roost potential and likelihood that the proposal would result in offences to bats. Average Weather conditions (PRA): 19oC; partly cloudy; wind Beaufort 2; Preliminary Roost Assessment 5 Winshill Primary School (Report P120.T22.19 rev 01) Survey Equipment: Binoculars, ladder, endoscope, mirrors, Clulite torch, camera, GPS, head-torch, notepad, PPE Survey Limitations There were no significant survey limitations. No significant precipitation had occurred in the weeks leading up to the survey, and cobwebs and detritus were still present on the walls and features; thus, if any signs such as droppings or urine staining were present, these would have been evident. The impacted areas of the eXisting school building were single-storey and predominantly flat and felted. However, there is a taller elevation with a shallowly pitched roof above the school hall which has no loft void. A small void may eXist between the interior timber ceiling and the roof but was no way to examine this. Nonetheless, no discernible exterior entry or exit points were noted and thus no further investigation was necessary. All external areas of the roof could be seen using lighted extension mirrors, torch, and close- focus binoculars, and sufficient information was obtained to form a robust assessment. The site lies within 275m of the East Staffordshire / South Derbyshire border. As this is a small-scale development, detailed bat records from Staffordshire Ecological Record (SER) were considered sufficient for this desk study. The survey was carried out at or near the end of the bird nesting season and thus determination of previous nesting activity could only be deduced from habitats present and any remnant nesting material that might be found. Evaluation and Impact Assessment Criteria When ascribing nature conservation value and potential impacts to species populations, the geographical frame of reference, eXamples of selection criteria and impact references used are in accordance with Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment in the United Kingdom (CIEEM, 2016). iv. Desk Study: There are no statutory nature conservation sites, ancient woodlands or geological/geomorphological sites within 1km of the application site (within the Staffordshire border). The only non-statutory wildlife site within 1km of the school (within the Staffordshire border) is Dale Brook, a retained Biodiversity Alert Site that is 800m to the northwest and is defined as a mosaic of dense scrub, grassland, and scattered scrub in the steep-sided valley of Dale Brook. Bat records within 2km of the site include common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, brown long-eared, noctule, whiskered bat, Natterer’s and ‘bat species.’ All but four of the records are over 1km distant from the school and these are at least 14 years or older.