During Construction 125
Subject to landowner permissions, the eleven hedgerows classified as important for foraging and commuting bats (given in Table 2 below - high levels of bat activity at four boundary features, two hedgerows recorded greater than five barbastelle passes and a further five hedgerows which recorded single barbastelle passes) would be left to become overgrown for a length of at least 15m either side of a created gap (see Volume 3, Chapter 24 of the ES).
Important Hedgerows for Bats Hedgerow Number
4, 27, 55, 64/65, 119/120, 146/147 23, 28, 63, 95, 124 Table 2. Important Hedgerows for Bats 126 127
As for all hedgerows, the working width would be reduced to limit the hedgerow breech to a maximum 35m.
Additional engineering measures will be actively considered including a change to the typical trench sections, alteration of construction methodology and machinery which would enable the open cut trenches and haul road to be micro routed through existing narrow gaps in the otherwise dense tree or hedge lines, for those hedges important for bats (>1 Barbestelle pass). The Schedule of Hedgerows in Appendix 2 of this LEcMS shows which hedgerows this includes.
128
In order to help to temporarily compensate for the loss in connectivity along a gap in the six hedgerows deemed as important and also to provide cover and protection from predation, hazel hurdles or similar would be installed within the gaps along the hedgerow. These would be removed during the day and be installed across the length of the gaps at night. The hazel hurdles would be retained post-construction until the hedge reinstatement has been completed and replanted hedge sections have reached maturity, or the hazel hurdles rot, which ever occurs first.
129
This technique has been used on numerous cross country pipeline projects to great success including: The Milford Haven to Aberdulais and Felindre to Tirley Natural Gas Pipelines.
Outline Landscape and Ecological Management Strategy. Version 2 Page 38 Bat Hedgerows
Hedgerows containing high levels of bat activity (i.e. greater than 200 bat passes) or greater than five barbastelle passes.
Hedgerows that recorded single barbastelle pass.
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