A series of mitigation measures will be implemented during the construction process for protected and notable species:

 

• Roosting bats: No roosts were identified during any of the bat surveys. However, bats may be roosting in the woodland to the east of the site, which was not subject to dusk emergence surveys. Therefore, any construction phase lighting will be directional and kept to a minimum, avoiding increased illumination of this habitat.

 

• Badgers: Appropriate safeguards will be adopted to minimise the risk of harm to individual badgers that may intermittently use the site during the construction phase, including covering any on-site excavations at night, or fitting excavations with suitable ramps, and covering any open pipework with an outside diameter of greater than 150 mm at the end of each day, to prevent badgers or any other mammals from becoming trapped.

 

• Nesting birds: Vegetation management / clearance has already been undertaken outside of the bird nesting season, which generally extends between March and September inclusive.  However, if any further vegetation management / clearance is required, then any vegetation to be removed or disturbed will be checked by an experienced ecologist for nesting birds immediately prior to works commencing.  If birds are found to be nesting, any works which may affect them would have to be delayed until the young have fledged and the nest has been abandoned naturally.

 

• Dormice: The risk to dormice is considered low.  However, clearance of any suitable boundary habitats on site (including hedgerows, woodland and scrub) has already been undertaken between November and March.  Small areas of clearance outside of this period will be allowed for, but before any such clearance, the supervising ecologist will conduct a systematic inspection of the clearance area, searching for evidence of dormice.

 

• Terrestrial mammals (including harvest mouse and hedgehog): Grassland, tall ruderal and dense scrub habitats have already been cleared in a sensitive manner to allow harvest mouse and other small mammals to disperse.  If further clearance is required, this will be undertaken under supervision of a suitably experienced and qualified ecologist if undertaken during the harvest mouse breeding season of May – October (inclusive). Should an active harvest mouse nest be identified during clearance in the breeding season, an appropriate buffer zone will be established around it and clearance of that zone delayed until the nest has been naturally abandoned.

 

• Reptiles and amphibians: The risk of any reptiles or amphibians, including great crested newt, being present within the proposed working area is considered to be low.  However, to reduce the risk of harm to negligible, the clearance of terrestrial habitats within the site has been undertaken in a sensitive manner.  In the unlikely event that a great crested newt or reptile is discovered within the works area during the construction period, all works will cease, and a suitably qualified ecologist contacted for advice.