14 CUMBRIA FARMER May 2009
They're just
batty about
old buildings
BY PAUL ARKLE
Cumbria FWAG
T
here are few areas on farms
in Cumbria that are not
used by wildlife, but some
of the most fascinating are
the nooks and crannies in farm
buildings that are so important to
bats.
Eight species are found in Cum-
bria and they use traditional build-
ings for roosting, breeding or feeding.
They are mysterious creatures
whose nocturnal nature has resulted
in numerous myths.
Far from being visually-chal-
lenged, flying mice, they are more
closely related to humans. They are
also highly evolved mammals � with
extended `hand-wings' and highly
accurate echolocation systems.
You may have seen Daubenton's
bats hunting low over water, espe-
cially along the Eden and the Der-
went, or watched the larger noctule
bats hunting high over woodland.
More likely, you will have seen pip-
istrelle bats emerging at dusk from
their roost in a building.
Bats may be present in farm build-
ings and houses throughout the year,
but are most often seen during the
breeding season in June and July.
At this time, juvenile bats are
often discovered as they begin to
explore their surroundings.
If they are rescued and released,
they can grow to become efficient
hunters of nuisance insects � a sin-
gle pipistrelle may catch as many as
3,000 midges in a single night.
If you discover a stranded bat, it is
worth contacting the Cumbria Bat
Helpline to request advice and, if
necessary, assistance from an expert.
The other perceived problem aris-
es when works is proposed on build-
ings where bats are present. Bats
have undergone a serious decline
due to the loss of habitats and, as a
result of this, they are protected by
three strands of law � the Wildlife
and Countryside Act 1981, the EU
Habitats regulations and amend-
ments under the Countryside &
Rights of Way Act 2000.
It is illegal to do anything that
results in the death or injury of a
bat, such as removing roof slates in
summer when young bats (pups) are
present. It is also illegal to destroy a
bat roost by, for example, converting
a loft that uses all of an open space
that was previously used by bats, or
by blocking access to bat roosts.
Traditional farm building restora-
tions, such as those funded through
agricultural environment schemes
like Higher Level Stewardship, usu-
ally involve like-for-like techniques
and materials and can be undertak-
en in a way that not only avoids any
threat to bats but also provides a
long-term safeguard to their habitat.
Although it may not be as
straightforward when converting
traditional buildings to non-agricul-
tural use, it is still usually possible
to take into account the require-
ments of bats without significantly
inhibiting the planned development.
Timing roofing work to avoid the
breeding season and to incorporate
features such as small gaps under
some of the slates or ridge tiles can
help to retain access to existing bat
roosts in a building.
Brown long-eared bats require
open loft spaces to roost and fly in,
but these can also be retained by
leaving an open section.
Most local planning authorities
now request a bat survey as part of
any planning application for works
on traditional buildings. They may
also request them for work on mod-
ern buildings as these can also pro-
vide valuable roost habitats for bats.
Natural England request bat surveys
when they offer capital grants to
restore traditional farm buildings.
For more details, contact Cumbria
FWAG on 01768 868104 or the Cum-
bria Bat Helpline on 017687 76911.
All Borderway pens to get roof
A �350,000 upgrade at Borderway
Mart in Carlisle is due to begin next
month.
Uncovered pens will be roofed and
yard pens will be renewed as part of
the refurbishment, which should be
completed within eight weeks � in
time for the autumn sales programme.
Operations director David
Pritchard said: "It has always been
our ambition to complete the third
span of the roof and this will mean
the entire Borderway yard pennage
is under cover.
"The new roof will greatly enhance
the facilities for our sales and for the
Borderway Agri Expo event, enabling
us to expand it further."
There are also plans to renew a
large number of the existing live-
stock pens, which have been in ser-
vice since the centre opened in 1974.
EnvironmentTalk
Brown long-eared bat: Requires open
loft spaces JOHN ALTRINGHAM
Loss of habitat
means bats are
protected by law

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