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South Somercotes, Lincolnshire - Breeding barn owls

Client: Mr J Barton

• Mitigation for work affecting breeding barn owls
• Provision of owl boxes
• Construction of a barn owl loft and a barn owl tower

Breeding barn owls were discovered on site during a protected species survey. A phased mitigation strategy was prepared and approved by Natural England and this was attached as a Condition of the planning permission granted to the developer.

The first stage of the strategy was the installation of a temporary roosting/nesting box in another building on site which was to be developed as 'Phase ll' of the work. The resident barn owls subsequently relocated to this outbuilding and were then excluded from the original breeding site. The birds remained on site and successful bred in the new box whilst work to develop the original building (Phase 1 of the development) was undertaken. As Phase 1 was undertaken a dedicated owl loft was installed in one of the buildings. The birds were excluded from the temporary box at the appropriate time and started to roost in the new barn owl loft. In addition a nest box has been installed on a suitable tree on site and a dedicated owl tower has been constructed adjacent to the site.

Barn owls are now roosting in the loft feature installed and it is anticipated that they will continue to breed on site during and following the completion of Phase II of the development