Project example
Fallapit House, Devon
Conversion of historic building to holiday dwellings
Client: Fallapit House Limited
Contract value: £25,000
Key Services: baseline bat survey; protected species licensing; mitigation & monitoring
External view of one of eight specially fitted 600x300mm horseshoe bat entrance 'slots' fitted in the roof of Fallapit House
One of three purpose-designed fire hatches fitted in the Fallapit house roof - these allow bats to access the entire roof space of this historic building, but also enable stringent fire regulations to be met
Fallapit House is a Grade II listed Devon mansion, dating from 1815, which had been subject to unsympathetic extension in the 1970s and was derelict at the time of our baseline survey. Surveys showed at least six bat species to be using the house, including national rarities greater and lesser horseshoe. Roosts were present in all roof voids, on all floors and in the cellars.
Renovation involved demolition of modern extensions, internal strip and creation of new duplex apartments and re-roofing. All work carried out under a European protected species licence, the mitigation for which included:
- 8 specially-designed access 'slots' into the main house roof, each 400mm x 600mm in size
- Baffles adjacent to these slots to minimise weather ingress, stabilise temperatures and reduce light spill
- Fitting roost heaters for horseshoe and long-eared bats
- Installing re-settable fire hatches between apartments to ensure bats can continue to use the entire main house roof
Monitoring has shown the project to be a great success thus far; with several species having returned at higher than pre-works levels.