Previous surveys had identified the presence of great crested newts in some of the ponds. A Method Statement was prepared to protect great crested newts and ensuring legal compliance during the works, and a watching brief was maintained.

The marginal trees and scrub were cut back to reduce shading of the ponds, and any brash was piled up to create habitat piles on the banks of the pond. The ponds were de-silted and aquatic and emergent vegetation scraped out to open up areas for courtship displaying by great crested newts. A margin of emergent vegetation was left close to the banks of the ponds. The silt and vegetation removed from the pond was carefully disposed of, on neighbouring arable land, or on the pond margins, avoiding any areas of archaeological interest. One of the ponds is adjacent to an area of woodland, and this pond was enlarged into the arable field margin to provide an area of unshaded water suitable for egg laying by amphibians. Those ponds within fields that are used for grazing were fenced off, to prevent poaching of the banks by the cattle.

The photographs show the pond before, during and after the works and also the way in which habitat piles were created on the bank.

A daylight assessment bat survey revealed that there were a small number of pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats using the church. Further surveys including evening and dawn activity surveys and an Anabat remote detector were undertaken in 2012 in order to ascertain the access points the bats used and the level of activity.

Work began in March 2013 with a supervised removal of the slate roof and tower masonry. Bat access slates are being installed within the new roof covering to enable the bats to gain access into the church. The works will be completed before the bats return to the roost in the summer months.

The recent discovery of historically important medieval art work to the interior wall surfaces, masked by a later lime wash covering, and the wish by the charitable organisation who care for the building to now reveal and display these gave rise to potential issues in terms of disturbing a Schedule I breeding bird species and the owls fouling the re-exposed drawings with their droppings.

During 2011 an approved scheme of mitigation was therefore devised and implemented which initially involved the advanced provision of three alternative barn owl nesting boxes in nearby trees and a farm building prior to excluding the barn owls outside the breeding season and reglazing the windows.

The barn owls readily transferred to one of these boxes to roost and breed and have continued to remain bonded with the site during the works which have recently been completed.

During the course of the works a separate owl ‘loft’ with a dedicated entrance through the gable wall was additionally installed and there is every hope that future monitoring will reveal take up of this loft by the owls.

The work was in connection with proposals by the Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project to enhance the water course by regrading the banks, installing flow deflectors and encouraging sinuosity and the development of natural river features. Chalk streams are a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority habitat and the improvement of these habitats in the Lincolnshire Wolds will be of significance benefit to local biodiversity.

The work involved mapping and characterising the plants and habitats on site, undertaking a search for signs of use by statutorily protected species and undertaking a data search. A small amount of badger and water vole activity were recorded and the team were able to provide practical recommendations and measures to ensure that this important work could proceed without any threat of disturbance to protected species already using the environs of the water course.

A large main sett was identified close to the proposed development site. As part of the final report, a mitigation strategy was devised which allowed the development to proceed in a legally compliant manner whilst protecting the badgers and ensuring that issues of severance (between the sett and the badgers foraging areas) were addressed.