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All Saints Church, Great Steeping, Lincolnshire - Work Affecting Bats

Client - Church Conservation Trust

• Work on historic buildings with sensitive architecture and heritage issues
• Survey work and design of mitigation strategies in respect of work affecting pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats
• Liaison with Natural England and other interested parties
• Supervision of works and provision of method statements to ensure legal compliance
• Post works monitoring

The church supports colonies of brown long-eared bats Plecotus auritus and common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus bats. The condition of the church roof has deteriorated in recent years and a detailed inspection carried out in 2004 revealed that the roof timbers had become infested by death watch beetle and urgent repair work was required as soon as possible. The roof had become so weak that it was necessary to install temporary supports to ensure the safety of the building.

Roof structure showing temporary props.

Major work to re-roof the church was undertaken. This involved covering the building under a 'tent structure' and stripping the entire roof. The roof was then be re-built, treated and strengthened and re-covered with plain tiles over bituminous felt. Surveys were undertaken and a method statement was prepared, in liaison with Natural England to ensure that the work was timed and undertaken in a fashion that would ensure legal compliance; all the work was supervised very closely. Access points and niches used by bats were re-instated under supervision and additional features at the ridge beam and under lead flashings were created to provide additional roosting opportunities for bats. Post work monitoring suggests that both brown long-eared and common pipistrelle bats have continued to use the church post works.