Man fined for demolishing bat roost

A man has been fined, by Carmarthenshire Magistrates court, for demolishing a building he knew to be a bat roost at Wood End, Llanmiloe, Pendine.

The man was fined £1000 for destroying the roost of the pipistrelle and the brown long eared bat, plus £500 court costs, after pleading guilty to breaching the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Steve Lucas, the Countryside Council for Wales’ West Regional Species and Biodiversity Officer, said: “Pipistrelle and brown long eared bats are endangered and threatened species, which are protected throughout the UK and Europe. This prosecution should act as a warning to others that breaches of by-laws to protect these species are criminal offences and are treated as such.”

He added: “CCW is eager to work closely with the building industry and developers to achieve a balance between the interests of development and the protection of important species, and to avoid criminal offences taking place. However, we are grateful to the Crown Prosecution Service for pursuing this case and securing a successful outcome.”

All bat species are protected under the The Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981: Schedule 5. This means that it is illegal to intentionally kill, injure, disturb or take bats or to damage or destroy their roost. As bats tend to return to the same roost each year, these sites are protected whether the bats are present or not.

Bats roost in a variety of places including buildings and house roofs. They can be found at any time of the year, but are most commonly found in the summer, when some species form mating colonies.

For more information and advice on what to do if you have a bat roost in your roof, please contact CCW’s enquiry team on 0845 1306 229 or order a copy of ‘Bats in Roofs’ from the CCW website.

ENDS

• For more information about this press release please contact Delyth Willis, CCW’s Regional PR Officer, on 029 2077 2455 or d.willis@ccw.gov.uk.
• The Countryside Council for Wales is an independent adviser to government, working for a better Wales where everyone values and cares for our natural environment. More information about our work is available on www.ccw.gov.uk
• Photograph of Brown Long Eared Bat was taken by Hugh Clark.