Wiltshire Council has unveiled a new strategy designed to protect the bat populations in West Wiltshire from the pressures of urban expansion. The Trowbridge and Westbury Bat Mitigation Strategy, discussed at the council’s cabinet meeting on July 8, targets developers, planners, and consultants with the goal of balancing housing growth with wildlife conservation.
Once adopted, the strategy will empower the council to refuse planning applications for new homes in critical bat habitats. It will also require developers building in less sensitive areas to contribute financially to bat protection initiatives or provide alternative natural green spaces, depending on the scale of their projects.
The area around Trowbridge and Westbury is recognized as vital for bat diversity, hosting at least 14 of the 18 UK bat species, including four rare types: the greater horseshoe, lesser horseshoe, Bechstein’s, and barbastelle bats. However, activities such as demolition, artificial lighting, noise, pollution, and human recreation—particularly in woodlands—pose threats to bats' ability to roost, mate, and forage effectively.
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Significant urban growth is planned for this region, including the development of 2,600 homes at Ashton Park, southeast of Trowbridge. The strategy emphasizes that the impact on bat populations must be carefully considered when allocating land for housing. To that end, two extensive “bat sensitivity zones” will be designated east and west of the A350 corridor between Trowbridge and Westbury, where planning permission is unlikely to be granted for residential development.
For developments with fewer than 50 homes, a financial contribution of nearly £1,000 per unit will be required to support bat conservation efforts. Larger developments must provide suitable alternative natural green spaces to mitigate habitat loss.
Despite broad support, council members expressed concern that national government housing policies could undermine these local conservation efforts. Council leader Ian Thorn framed the challenge as finding a balance between protecting bats and meeting housing demands. Opposition leader Richard Clewer voiced worries that current government priorities favor rapid housing construction over species protection, potentially rendering the bat strategy ineffective.
Both leaders acknowledged the difficulty in reconciling ecological preservation with development pressures, highlighting the ongoing tension between local wildlife conservation ambitions and broader government housing objectives.