Northwest Ecology was asked to complete a preliminary bat roost assessment of a grade II listed building within Rochdale. The building had previously been refused planning and during the delay between planning applications, numerous break-ins and vandalism occurred to the grade II listed building, which had to be boarded to prevent further disrepair.
Northwest Ecology was able to carry out a preliminary roost assessment within one week of commission. The survey was undertaken in accordance with the Bat Conservation Trust Good Practice Guidelines (Collins, 2023). A daytime internal and external inspection of the building was undertaken by a licensed bat consultant search for bats, evidence of their presence and suitability for roosting. Suitability of building takes into consideration parameters such as the location and habitat connectivity, materials, condition, and aspect.
A concise desk-based assessment was carried out, collating existing records of bats within 2km of the site from the local records centre and identifying any statutory or non-statutory designated wildlife sites designated for bats. This, along with the daytime inspection and the assessment of habitats within the surrounding landscape informed the overall assessment. Following the assessment, the building was classified in terms of suitability for roosting bats and a report could be submitted to support the planning application.
