Chris and Bev – Heads in the Clouds

The bats have bitten back! We’ve had bad news on the planning application – seven weeks after the consultation deadline and three weeks after the extended determination deadline a Wiltshire Council ecologist objected to the house application. To cut a long story short, we now have to appoint consultants to produce a light spillage assessment which will show to what extent light from the new house will illuminate the garden walls and thereby distract foraging bats. This isn’t to do with the type of bats that had once roosted in the bungalow – we’ve dealt with them – but rarer Horseshoe, Bechstein’s and Barbastelle bats that might come from an important roost four or five miles from here to forage in the garden. We’d better not say too much as the Council officers might get to read this, but we’re deeply disappointed and frustrated, or “fairly outraged” to quote Chris’ letter to the planners …