Cirencester Park

Overview: 

Challenge

A significant number of veteran trees with features suitable for bats were identified during ground level tree assessments at Broad Avenue. Standard bat surveys would be expensive and require multiple survey visits per tree. It was considered highly likely that roosting bats would be present and utilising the entire avenue as a complex roosting resource, therefore a licence from Natural England would be required in order for felling works to proceed lawfully.

There was an element of time sensitivity, as safety concerns had been raised by the estate regarding several of the veteran trees that were located near a well-used footpath. Dead branches and trees had fallen during recent storms, therefore the risk to members of the public had to be weighed up alongside the historic landscape and ecological value of the trees.

Approach

Aerial tree inspections were undertaken, following dawn back-tracking bat surveys, to target areas of high activity by bats.

The Wildwood Arboriculture climbing team with support from experienced subcontractors was deployed the same day as the bat activity surveys were carried out by an ecology team, requiring close coordination between the two groups.

The ancient and veteran trees presented challenging climbing conditions, particularly as the climbing team did not always know exactly which features or trees the bats were observed entering. A combination of ground level assessment and survey data recorded by the bat survey team had to be utilised.

Safety was important during the tree climbing surveys, as Cirencester Park remained open to the public. Coordination with the estate team and tree climbers with ground teams had to be followed to ensure risk assessments were in place.