Batty scheme planned for The Covered End

Well, hardly earth-shattering but this one has well and truly gone under the radar.

Even Richard Cawley and the SLP have missed the fact that when fans are allowed back into The Valley (in restricted numbers at first), it seems certain that the Covered End will be out of action with supporters presumably offered seating in other parts of the ground. Perhaps not surprising though as only those of us working as planning consultants are likely to have come across the associated document outlining the reason. This sits lodged amongst the external consultations (Natural Infrastructure, Conservation and Historic Environment) licencing applications of Greenwich Council’s on-line planning portal and online newsletter.

   https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/news/article/1756/flowers_bat_boxes_and_more_-_were_re-wilding_our_estates

The Club are now required to undertake special measures to move on the colony of Common Pipistrelle bats which have taken a liking to roosting on the anti-pigeon netting found in the Covered End roof. This has arisen as result of Greenwich Council’s encouragement (earlier in the year) of attracting bats and other wildlife into the area. Only problem is that the re-wilding process has been too successful.

By spring 2021, 11 of the Borough’s estates are going to be surrounded by a sea of yellow, as 9,000 new daffodil bulbs will be in bloom. Also, a total of 20 bat boxes have been installed! Woolwich Dockyard, Susan Road, Abbey Wood, Shooters Hill, Coldbath and Middle Park estates all have boxes, which are ready and waiting for the bats to move in.!

The 20 bat boxes have evidently all been taken over by other, larger bat species (including Greater Horseshoes) leaving the Pipistrelles looking for alternatives and the suspended pigeon-netting in the Covered End provided safe, secure, quiet and ready-made, ideal claw-holds for suspension.

However, bats are a protected species and a licence is required in order to move or disturb them and the measures can only be undertaken as a staged process during certain times of the year. The Club have begun the first part of the process which involves applying to Natural England for a Bat Mitigation Class Licence CL21.

This has to be advertised just like a planning application through the local council in case of objections by local bat or nature groups and it’s been sitting there unnoticed since early March with a 28-day consultation period which expires at 12 noon today.