The Bat Group were asked by Colin Arnold, Service Manager, Planning and Development SCC to comment on these revised planning applications regarding Hanson’s Westdown Quarry:
- https://planning.somerset.gov.uk/Planning/Display?applicationNumber=SCC/3795/2021
- https://planning.somerset.gov.uk/Planning/Display?applicationNumber=SCC/3836/2021/IDO
- https://planning.somerset.gov.uk/Planning/Display?applicationNumber=SCC/3838/2021/ROMP
Somerset Bat Group response – 19th Nov 2023
In response to the revised applications SCC/3795/2021, SCC/3836/2021/IDO and SCC/3838/2021/ROMP the Somerset Bat Group wish to make the following comments:
We note there is one major backward change from the Bat perspective in these revised 2023 application proposals. In our reply to the 2022 proposals we welcomed the acceptance of our idea of buried pipes to be inserted into the infill of the Asham void to provide “cave-like” structures for bat hibernacula. However this idea does not appear to have been carried forward to the new proposals.
While we urge that cave-like” structures for bat hibernacula are incorporated into the new proposals, as these are likely to be in a working quarry area, these are unlikely to act as effective mitigation until well after the end of the quarries life (30 years+).
We therefore consider it essential that alongside the proposed mitigation roost building for Lesser Horseshoe bats (LHB) in this 2023 proposal, a second LHB mitigation bat house is built on the main LHB flightpath due west of Westdown Farm before any works are commenced.
Lastly as before we recommend that a third bat mitigation house specifically for Greater Horseshoe Bats is built on Hanson land to the north, on the Fordbury water corridor.
The bat group also wish to restate our previous comments which can be found on our website, and are also copied below. These form part of our current comments, and provide detailed explanations for them.