Protected bat found at housing development site

A stock image of a Barbastelle bat - one of an estimated 5,000 of its kind in the UK

A sighting of a protected bat has been recorded above a proposed housing development site in East Sussex.

Taylor Wimpey wants to build 150 homes on land south of Green Road, in Wivelsfield Green, and submitted an ecological survey of the site in its planning application, which recorded one sighting of a Barbastelle bat.

Campaigners say that building on the land would now be "environmentally reckless", with just 5,000 Barbastelle bats thought to be in the UK.

Taylor Wimpey told the BBC its report found no evidence of Barbastelle bats roosting at the site and that its proposals include improved habitats for native species.

Barbastelle bats are protected under the UK's Wildlife and Country Act.

There were 485 bats spotted across eight surveys over the site July and October 2023 - including seven sightings of Leisler's bat, which are scarcely found across Britain

A spokesperson for the No To WivelsTown campaign group said: "Bats are not just a symbol of the English countryside, they are vital to the ecosystem, controlling insect populations and maintaining balance in the natural world."

But Taylor Wimpey said bats only roost in nearby ancient woodland and only a "single pass" of a Barbastelle was recorded.

"Our proposals have been specifically designed to retain existing woodland and treelines used by foraging bats - including all trees with bat roosting potential," they said.

They added that the developer would provide significant area of new habitats, bat boxes and lighting controls to protect the bats.

Residents say house-building in Wivelsfield Green, the village which inspired the children's TV programme Camberwick Green, would destroy the area's history.

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