Report reveals that scores of bats risk being made homeless if Pleasure Island revamp goes ahead

                                          

Buildings on the site of the former theme park are thought to provide a home for scores of bats

THE prospect of homelessness beckons for scores of bats if a redevelopment scheme for Pleasure Island  goes ahead.

Most of the tiny nocturnal mammals dwell in the various buildings of which there are 23 on the 24-hectare site of the former theme park.

But others live in the bark crevices on the poplars and other mature trees that are a wildlife-friendly feature of the park.

Almost all of the buildings and most of the trees are earmarked for removal if the Lidl-led consortium eventually secures planning permission from North East Lincolnshire Council to build a discount supermarket, two hotels, shops, an amusement arcade, a garden centre, a drive-thru coffee shop and 274 holiday cabins.

There have been two bat surveys at Pleasure Island, the first in 2020 and the second during July and August 2022 when a 20-strong bat-detecting team from the consultancy, OS Ecology, which is based in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, got to work.

 All surveyors were equipped with full spectrum detectors to enable high-quality recordings to be taken and analysed.

At certain times, infra-red cameras and lighting were also used in order to provide fuller data.

The team's  subsequent report, which was only released last week, states: "Numerous bat roosting opportunities are present within the site. 

"Eight of the buildings were found to support pipistrelle bat day roosts, with a maximum of six bats emerging from any one structure. 

"A single brown long-eared bat day roost was also identified with a single bat emerging. "

It continues: "Activity surveys were undertaken in suitable weather conditions with no constant rain or high winds and sunset temperature of at least 10 deg C."

Following the go-ahead from the Pleasure Island security guard, remote monitoring was  also carried out.

This was undertaken dusk to dawn over four nights, also in July and August, 2022.

This monitoring might have been more extensive had there not been concerns regarding the security of equipment given that anti-social behaviour regularly occurs around some of the buildings.

According to OS Ecology, internal access was not possible to the majority of buildings due to the type and dilapidated nature of the structures.

Monitoring activities confirmed the presence of four species - common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, brown long-eared and noctule.

Based on analysis of calls, there may also have been whiskered/Brandt’s bat.

A total of 3,684 records were obtained over the eight nights of monitoring completed. This equates to  460 records per night.

The majority of activity  (93 per cent) was attributable to common pipistrelle with a mean of 426 records per night of this species. 

Noctule was the second most frequently recorded species (six per cent  of all records) with 26 records per night while soprano pipistrelle was recorded at a rate of only 3.6 records per night (less than one  per cent of all records).

Brown long-eared bats were recorded on only a single occasion over the eight nights of  monitoring.

Despite the extent of bat activity - possibly  higher than anywhere else in North East Lincolnshire - OS Ecology makes no recommendation for the habitat to be safeguarded or for any mitigation to compensate for displacement.

Its report describes  the bat population at Pleasure Island as of "parish value" only.

It concludes:" No evidence of a maternity roost of any species was recorded during survey, and the buildings are considered to be of limited suitability for bats to remain within the structures over the winter hibernation period."

The report also highlights nesting by a range of birds including feral pigeon and two species in national decline -  starling and swallow.

The Grimsby News says: The survey  carried out by OS Ecology on behalf of the Pleasure Island redevelopment consortium is remarkable not so much for its research (though this is valuable) but for its conclusions. Bats are in serious decline in Cleethorpes, and it is astonishing that the consultancy should dismiss the Pleasure Island population as of "parish value" only. Value is value! Cleethorpes wants to keep its bats, thank you. OS Ecology needs to get back to the drawing board and devise ways in which these harmless little creatures can be saved.