Building repair project is scuppered – by bats
PLANS to repair the roof of a listed town centre building have been rejected because they might disturb roosting bats.
In refusing permission for the project, West Berkshire Council planners said that even the possibility of a single bat being disturbed would be sufficient grounds.
The application was for the removal and replacement of defective roof tiles at Forge Cottage at Neates Yard, off Hungerford High Street.
It was accompanied by a detailed heritage design and access statement which set out the damage and added: “The existing tiles have reached the end of their working life and the aim is to give the listed building a longer life span with new roof tiles that will enhance the setting ... while allowing the character of the original building to be maintained.”
There were no formal objections from any third parties, including Hungerford Town Council’s environment and planning committee.
In addition, a planning officer’s statement conceded: “No objections are raised by the conservation officer as the works are clearly necessary for the long-term preservation of this Grade II building.”
However, it added: “It is an offence, subject to exceptions, to, amongst other things, kill or disturb animals listed in Schedule 2; this includes a single bat, not just a population of a species.”
It was therefore “incumbent on the local planning authority to establish if the works being applied for could potentially affect bats, their breeding sites or resting places, which are fully protected by law”.
The statement concluded: “Given the nature of the proposed works, there is a reasonable likelihood that protected species may be present and no surveys have been provided to demonstrate otherwise.”
The application was duly refused.