ILLUMINATION SCHEME FOR ST JAMES' CHURCH UNLIKELY TO CAUSE DISTURBANCE TO BATS

PROPOSALS to illuminate St James' Church in Grimsby are unlikely to have a  significant impact on bats.

That is the conclusion of Celia Commowick, of Louth-based firm CGC Ecology, who carried out a survey of the Grade I listed building on three dates in August this year.

Celia and her team -  Richard Green, Andrea Green, Kevin Johnson and Rod Strawson - found no bats within the Minster during a daytime investigation and none emerging from it when they monitored it on two separate evenings.

However, they did see occasional individual bats either foraging or commuting in the area.

Most of these were pipistrelles, but there were also instances of soprano pipistrelle, noctule and brown long-eared.

The CGC survey says: "No bats were seen to emerge from Grimsby Minster during the emergence/activity surveys, and no foraging or commuting activity was recorded immediately around the building. 

"The proposals to install floodlighting around the Minster will not therefore constitute a breach in the legislation which protects bats, and can be carried out without any further survey work or mitigation.

"As none of the adjacent trees to be removed offer any roosting potential for bats, no further work or mitigation is required in respect of bats prior to felling.

"A small number of bats were recorded commuting across the site and foraging in the darker areas amongst the trees to the north and west of the Minster. 

"Due to the high ambient light levels of the immediate surroundings, the proposals are not expected to have a significant effect on local bats commuting across the site, as they will be habituated to the artificial light in the general area. "

The refurbishment scheme for St James' Square proposes the placement of 12 floor-level floodlights in pairs around the Minster.

In addition, new lanterns are proposed to illuminate the pathways on the site.

These are six metres high which is a significant increase on the height of the current lanterns - estimated at 2.5-metres. 

The report continues:  "If possible, the height of the proposed lanterns should be reduced, ideally to the height of the existing lighting on site. 

"This would reduce any minor negative impacts to bats and birds using the site.

"The new lanterns should have shields installed in order to focus the light where it is needed (pedestrian walkways and seating) and limit light spill above and on to the adjacent trees and grassed areas. "