Cartmel Ecology Ltd Dr Sarah Cartmel

Cymerau Isaf Blaenau Ffestiniog Gwynedd. LL41 4BN

Tel. 01766 762437 email: sarah@cartmelecology.co.uk

BatSurveyofGilfach,Abererch,Pwllheli.LL535YF

GridrefSH3867736634

ReportandSurveybySarahCartmel(BatLicenceNumber:78186:OTH:CSAB:2018)

SurveyAugust2018

A bat survey in August 2018 of Gilfach found a few soprano pipistrelle bats roos<ng in twoloca<ons. A licence from NRW will be required before work to demolish the residence can beundertaken.Demoli<on should take commence in September/OctoberormidMarch toendApril,the<mewhenbatscanbedisturbedorlesslikelytobepresent,butmi<ga<onmustbeinplace.

BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

BatSurveyofGilfach,Abererch,PwllheliGridreference:SH3867736634

1. IntroducOon

a) IamrequestedtocarryoutabatsurveyofGilfach,Abererch,Pwllheliwithreferencetoa

proposaltodemolishtheresidenceandbuildareplacementproperty.Iamnotinreceipt

ofanyplans.

b) Theproperty is locatedapproximately1kmto thenorthofPwllheliand0.5kmto the

westofAbererchinsmallresidenNalareajustofftheA499(Figure1).

c) The property is located at the south end of a cul-de-sac which is on an east facing

escarpmentwhichrunssouthtoPwllheli.Thereiswoodlandandscrubtothewestand

southofthepropertyandgrazedfieldstotheeast(Figure2).ThereisvegetaNoncoverall

along the escarpment and this habitat provides sheltered foraging areas for bats and

goodconnecNvitywithinthelandscape.

d) Therearenositesdesignatedforbatswithin2kmofthisproperty.

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Figure 1. Gilfach location (in red square)

BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

2. Methods

a) Bats are nocturnal and during daylight hourswill rest at a roost site. The roost site is

oXenabuilding,inwhichtheyhangfromceilingsorwallsortheymaytuckthemselves

intosmallcreviceswhereitisoXendifficulttoseethem.

b) During the daylight, an internal and external inspecNon of the building took place,

searchinganyaccessiblecrevices.Allsignsofbatswerenoted(droppings,scratchmarks,

grease stains) and any bats seen were idenNfied to species where possible (without

disturbingthebats).

c) Atdusk,twosurveyorswatchedtheexteriorofthebuildingforanyemergingbats(over

two nights). The surveyors used a bat detector (EchoMeter Touch, EchoMeter 3+ and

BatboxDuet)whichconverttheultrasonicsoundsemi^edbybatsintosoundsaudibleto

the human ear and also records any bat passes detected. A thermal imaging camera

(HelionXP28)wasalsousedtosurveypartofthebuilding.

d) ThebatrecordingswereanalysedusingKaleidoscope4.5(WildlifeAcousNcs)toprovide

informaNononthebatspeciesandandamountofbatacNvityatthesite.

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Figure 2. Gilfach within the landscape

BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

e) Surveyswere undertaken by licensed bat ecologist S. Cartmel with assistance fromD.

Corduff.

3. DayOmeSurveyResults

a) Adaylightsurveywascarriedoutonthe14thAugust2018.

b) ThepropertyisadetachedhousewithacomplexhippedroofandvariousaddiNonalflat

roofed secNons (Figure 3). There are no roof voids and an internal inspecNonwas not

carriedoutasallspaceiscurrentlyresidenNalwithinthebuilding.

c) Theexteriorofthebuildingisrenderedwithnosuitablecrevicesforbats.Theeavesare

sealedwithlimitedplaceswherebatscouldgainaccess.

d) TheflatroofedsecNoninFigure3hasaveryNghtfidngroof,withnoapparentaccessfor

bats.

e) TherearegapsundermanyoftheridgeNleswhichcouldallowbatsaccessintocrevices

andsomeoftheslatesontheroofalsohadgaps(Figure4).There isachimneyonthe

southelevaNonwhichisrenderedwithnoobviousgapsforbats.

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Figure 3. North facing elevation of Gilfach

BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

f) TheeastfacingpartofthepropertyhasadormerintheupperfloorsecNonandasloping

roofonasinglestoreysecNon(Figure5).Therearesomecrevicesbelowtheslatesonthe

edgeofthelowerroofwherebatscouldaccess,butnodroppingswereseen.

g) Attherearoftheproperty(westelevaNon)thereisadormerbuiltintotheroof(Figure6)

withnoobviouscrevicesbuttheedgeshavesomepotenNalforcrevicedwellingbatsto

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Figure 4. View of west and south side of roof at Gilfach

Figure 5. East facing elevation of Gilfach

BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

gainentry.Thereisalsoacorrugatedmetalshedwithacurvedroofbuiltupagainstthe

rearoftheproperty.

h) No evidence of bats was found on the exterior of the building, but there are many

potenNalroosNnglocaNons.

i) TherearetreesandscrubvegetaNonimmediatelytothesouthandwestoftheproperty

and a tall bank on thewest side provides shelter. The garden on the east side slopes

steeplydowntoagriculturalfields.

4. EveningSurvey

a) Aneveningsurveywascarriedoutbetween20:25and21:50hoursonthenightof the

14th August 2018 (sunset at 20:47 hours). The weather was warm with a starNng

temperatureof18℃,100%cloud,a light (occasionallybrisk) southwestwindanddry.

Weather condiNons remained the same at the end of the survey apart from the

temperaturedroppingto17℃.

b) FivesopranopipistrellebatsPipistrelluspygmaeuswereseentoemergefromtheblack

corrugatedmetalshedattherearofthepropertybetween20:37and21:10hours(Figure

7).

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Figure 6. West and north facing elevations of Gilfach

BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

c) TwosopranopipistrellebatswereseentoemergefromunderaridgeNleonthesouth

side of the roof, the ridge line on the east side of chimney at 21:02 and 21:05 hours

(Figure8).

d) Nootherbatswereseentoemergefromtheproperty.

e) A commonpipistrellePipistrelluspipistrelluswas seenflyingpast thebuilding at 20:53

hoursfromsouthtonorthalongthewest(rear)elevaNonandthetallbankbehindthe

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Figure 7. Emergence points on shed

Figure 8. Emergence point

BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

building.AMyo<ssp.batwasheardat21:12and21:15hoursflyingpasttherearofthe

building. A lesser horseshoe batRhinolophus hipposideros was heard at 21:14 hours

flyingpasttherearofthebuilding.AnoctuleNyctalusnoctula washeardat21:16and

21:36hoursflyingoverhead.

5. Conclusions

a) ThebatsurveyofGilfach,AbererchinAugust2018hasfoundasmallnumberofsoprano

pipistrellebatsroosNngintheresidenNalpropertyandthecorrugatedmetalshedatthe

rearoftheproperty.

b) Theproposedworkstodemolishthebuildingandconstructareplacementbuildingwill

disturb roosNng bats and a licence to disturb a European Protected Species will be

requiredfromNaturalResourcesWales(NRW)beforetheworkcantakeplace.

c) ThenumberofbatspresentatthissiteisrelaNvelylow(onlyamaximumof7batswere

seentoemerge)andtheproposedworks, ifcarriedoutwithmiNgaNonwillnot impact

onthelocalpopulaNon.

d) AllbatspeciesareprotectedundertheWildlifeandCountrysideAct1981asamendedby

theCRoWAct2000andConservaNonofHabitatsandSpeciesRegulaNons2017.Builders

shouldbeawareofthepossibilitythatbatsmaybepresent(atanyNmeofyear),beneath

roof slates, under ridge Nles, or in any small cracks and crevices in the stonework or

aroundroofNmbers. Ifanybatsarediscovered,workshouldbesuspendedandadvice

should be sought immediately fromNatural ResourcesWales (NRW) or a licensed bat

ecologist.

6. MethodStatement/MiOgaOonRequirementsforGilfach(tobeincludedinanEPSapplicaOon)

A. Mitigation for disturbance to existing bat roost

e) AsmallcolonyofsopranopipistrellebatshavebeenfoundtoroostintheroofofGilfach

and the adjacent corrugatedmetal shed. The residence is to be demolished (including

theshed)andanewpropertybuilt.

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BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

f) The pipistrelle bats require alternaNve roosNng sites during the demoliNon. This will

consistof threeSchweglerwoodcretebatboxes (type tobeagreedwithbatecologist)

installed.Therearenosuitabletreesonthesiteandboxesmayhavetobeinstalledon

tallposts.ThelocaNonswillbefinalisedoncethedemoliNonworkisplannedtoproceed.

g) SuitablenewroosNngsiteswillbeprovidedforthebatswhenthehouseisre-built.This

willcompriseofbatboxesbuiltintotheexteriorsouthfacingwallandaccessintoasmall

secNonofroof.Detailsofthenewpropertyarenotyetavailablebutthenewroostsites

willbeincorporatedintoanynewplanswithinputfromthebatecologist.

h) The roofwillbe linedwith tradiNonal roofing feltType1F inanyareas thatbatshave

accessto.

i) Noexternallightswillbefi^edclosetothebatboxesortothebataccesspoint.

B. Safe Working Methods

a) Thelicensedbatecologistwillbeonsitewhenthekeyareasoftheroof(ridgeNles,slates

overlappingwallsandflatroofedsecNon)areremovedandthecorrugatedmetalshedis

dismantledas there isa chanceofbatsbeingpresent.The licensedbat consultantwill

remove the bats to a safe place and release in the evening providing the weather is

suitable.

b) ThebatconsultantwillliaisewiththebuildingcontractortoagreethesizeandlocaNonof

anyrequiredcrevicesandnewaccesspointsandlocaNonofbatboxes.Contractorswill

bealertedtothepossibilitythatbatsmaybepresent(atanyNmeofyear),beneathroof

slates,underridgeNles,orinanysmallcracksandcrevicesinthestoneworkoraround

roofNmbers.Ifanybatsarediscovered,workshouldbesuspendedandadviceshouldbe

sought immediately from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) or from the licensed bat

consultant.

B. Timing

a) The bat boxes will be installed before any work commences, preferably at least two

monthsbeforethedemoliNonworkcommences.

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BatsurveyofGilfach Cartmel Ecology Ltd

b) It ispossible forpipistrellebatstohibernate inthesameroofthattheyroost induring

summerthereforeworkthatcoulddisturbthebatsmustnotcommenceinthepeakof

winter(DectoMarch).

C. Monitoring

a) The building and bat boxes will be monitored in the second, third and fiXh years

following construcNon to determinewhether the colony of soprano pipistrelle bats

haveremainedatthesite.IfnobatsarefoundtoberoosNngatthepropertyworkto

improve the roosts will be considered in consultaNon with NRW and implemented

whenappropriate.

ReportandsurveybySarahCartmel3rdSeptember2018

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