Mystery of fire in bats’ tree roost at site of planned homes

WHEN firemen were called to a small fire in ancient Hampshire woods it took just minutes to extinguish.

But that blaze in a fallen oak prompted a mystery that has gripped Emsworth. William Pennell, a former police inspector who lives near the woods, used freedom of information laws to obtain the firefighters’ report, which logged it as “deliberate”.

It comes as some locals oppose plans to build 260 homes on greenfield land that Havant council earmarked for development. Many hope that because Hollybank Woods was identified as the second largest maternity roost for rare Bechstein’s bats that developers could be kept at bay. The council has a duty to protect the mammal’s habitat.

Malinda Griffin, a tree warden, said: “People were worried that there may have been an effort to dislodge the bats. Those bats could make a very big difference to this planning application.”

The council is awaiting an application. Adrian Williams, one of a number of owners who could sell land, said he had challenged teenagers causing trouble. “I told them to go on some land in front of my farm where a big broken tree is. I said they could make a den and smoke cigarettes there. A couple of hours later my wife saw some plumes of smoke and called the fire brigade.”

He said he believed bats may have roosted in the tree, which he said was not on his land, that caught alight. Deborah, his wife, said: “I know there are rumours that we had something to do with the fire, but we didn’t.”

Jonathan Harbottle, director of Land and Partners, the developer, said the scheme had been designed to ensure that the bats and other wildlife were not disturbed but “managed”, so they can thrive. He said the owners of the land where the fire was started called 999 after spotting it, adding that they had had trouble “with youths” trespassing.