Proposals at Ellesmere Yard Include Repair of Four Buildings and Installation of Drainage Ditch
Client: Canal & River Trust
Site Name: Canal & River Trust, Ellesmere Yard, Birch Road, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 9AA
Site Type: Housing
Services Provided: Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Report (PEAR), Ecological Appraisal Report, Preliminary Bat Roost Assessment and Bat Mitigation Class Licence Registration (BMCL)
Potential protected habitats and species identified on site necessitated a Preliminary Bat Roost Assessment (PRA) and a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) to assess ecological constraints and guide suitable mitigation and enhancement strategies to allow the development to proceed.
During the PRA survey, it was found that one of the buildings accounted for a bat roost, which then required recommendations from our ecologist, while the other building works will be limited to avoid the hibernation season or follow a precautionary method. Elton Ecology recommended that 2 roosting opportunities be created for bats, along with 4 artificial bird nests, to be erected on the site before the first use of the development, which would then allow the development to proceed.
Precautionary working methods were recommended during the construction process, which avoided further surveys being required before the determination of the planning application, ensuring swift time scales and no delays in ecology for the client. These recommendations included that the hedgerows be protected throughout the development, and measures taken to safeguard wildlife, while any lighting should follow BCT & ILP (2018) wildlife-sensitive design guidelines.
Planning consent was secured as the Local Planning Authority granted planning permission with conditions to Canal & River Trust.
Following planning consent, Elton Ecology were instructed by the client to provide a Bat Mitigation Class Licence Registration (BMCL). Elton Ecology successfully registered this site under the Natural England Bat licensing scheme and provided on-site supervision of works alongside the client’s contractors. The works were carried out in compliance with the bat licence and successfully completed.
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