Plans for 270 homes raise bat protection concerns

Twm Owen Local Democracy Reporter

Further reports are being prepared after protections for bats in a council’s plan to build 270 homes near an important breeding site were questioned by Wales’ environmental regulator. 

Natural Resources Wales has raised concerns at how a breeding site for the endangered Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats could be put at risk from the development of up to 270 homes nearby. 

The greenfield site, known as Leasbrook, off Dixton Road in Monmouth has been identified as potentially suitable for 270 homes in the replacement local development plan being drawn up by Monmouthshire County Council. 

In October councillors approved a draft version of the plan, that identifies land for new housing and employment sites, for consultation and the authority is now considering responses to comments received from the public and statutory bodies such as Natural Resources Wales.

Concerns

As part of that process the environmental regular said it has “raised some concerns over the proposed allocated site at Leasbrook due to potential impacts on the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which includes Newton Court Stable Blocks Bat Site of Special Scientific Interest (a site that supports roosts of both lesser and greater horseshoe bats).” 

It has told the council to undertake further assessments of the potential impact development of the land could have on roosts at the stable block which has the highest form of protection. 

Craig O’Connor, the council’s interim chief officer responsible for the plan, told a scrutiny committee meeting, as a result it has asked its environmental consultants, Aecom, to produce “additional work showing the methodology it used for the habitat assessments.” 

Mr O’Connor said the council also intends to sign a “statement of common ground” with Natural Resources Wales to show the body is satisfied with the plan before it is submitted to the Welsh Government for final approval when it must be assessed and approved by an inspector before it becomes the council’s adopted development plan. 

Before the updated draft is submitted it will have to be approved by the full council and campaigner Jonty Pearce told councillors “the protection of these wonderful bats is in your hands.” 

He reminded councillors he’d questioned what he called the “removal of bat protections” from the development plan at the full council’s December meeting. 

He said: “I asked why Momouthshire County Council had removed key protections for Monmouthshire’s Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats.”

Globally significant populations

He said Greater Horseshoe bats are considered extinct in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. 

“South West England and Wales are there last remaining settlements in northern Europe,” Mr Pearce told councillors and said the homes are planned just 900 metres away from one of only three breeding sites in Wales.

During the summer bats feed off insects found in cattle dung and the 270 home plan would remove grazing land the size of 20 football pitches and “rip out an established hedge and introduce artificial light which is particularly bad for bats as it enables them to be seen by owls.” 

He also said the council had rejected wording on bat protections from Aecom in the proposed plan which removed the safeguards. 

But this was rejected by Mr O’Connor, who said the council doesn’t have the power, or the desire to remove, protections. 

Kate Stinchcombe, the council’s ecologist, said wording Mr Pearce had highlighted the council had asked Aecom to remove as “too perscriptive” was at her request and because she didn’t want the guidance to apply only to the Newton Court site, and so it could be used in other areas of the county including where bats hibernate. 

She the local development plan isn’t supposed to repeat national policies, which it must comply with, and was intended to be a clear and concise document.