Delivering Complex Bat Mitigation Without Delays at Townhill Campus

Overview: 

Wildwood Ecology provided specialist ecological supervision and bat mitigation support for the demolition of a building at Townhill Campus, Swansea, as part of a wider residential redevelopment. With involvement on the site dating back to 2017, our team played a key role in navigating ecological constraints across a complex, multi-phase programme. The project culminated in 2025 with the successful demolition of a bat roost structure, supported by a rapid licence amendment following the discovery of additional bats during works.

Challenge

The building supported roosts for multiple bat species, including lesser horseshoe, common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats. The primary challenge was to design and implement a mitigation strategy for a multi-species roost while maintaining progress across a wider construction programme.

This required the creation of a bespoke bat roost that replicated the thermal and structural conditions of the original building, while enhancing features for different species and maintaining connectivity to surrounding habitats through sensitive lighting and dark commuting corridors.

During demolition, a greater number of brown long-eared bats were encountered than anticipated under the existing licence. This introduced additional complexity, requiring a rapid and coordinated response to ensure legal compliance, protect the bats, and avoid delays to the programme. Close liaison with Natural Resources Wales was essential to agree a solution that allowed works to continue.

Approach

Wildwood Ecology developed and delivered a mitigation strategy informed by detailed survey evidence, proactive licence management, and close coordination with Natural Resources Wales. Following the unexpected discovery of additional brown long-eared bats, a licence amendment was secured at short notice, enabling works to continue lawfully without disrupting the overall programme.

Demolition was carried out under strict ecological supervision, using a careful soft-strip methodology. The structure was dismantled in stages, with each section inspected by an experienced Ecological Clerk of Works before works progressed, ensuring bats were protected throughout.

A bespoke bat house was designed to replace and enhance the original roost. The structure incorporated a range of species-specific features, including a south-facing aspect to optimise solar gain, hopper entrances for lesser horseshoe bats with direct access to dark flightlines, crevice features for pipistrelle species, and dedicated loft and ridge access points.

Additional features included a hibernation wall with rubble-filled cavities, bat-safe materials, a monitoring hatch, and secure fencing to prevent disturbance. New planting and a long-term management approach were also implemented to maintain habitat connectivity and suitable roosting conditions.