A huge bat barn has been proposed as the latest stage in attempts to redevelop a former Islamic centre which now stands derelict in a Rushcliffe village. The former Islamic Institute on Inholms Gardens in Flintham was once the Officers' Mess for RAF Syerston, but has now been empty for years.
Nottingham-based education charity The Madni Trust was given permission in 2016 to build up to 95 homes on the site, but this permission has now expired. The property services team at Rushcliffe Borough Council is now applying to make progress at the site.
In particular, it was said that the number of bats roosting in the derelict properties was holding things up in terms of demolishing them. The new application now says that a 5.6-metre-tall bat barn should be constructed to get around this problem.
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The application states: "[This application] does not require the consideration of the demolition of the existing buildings or any potential future use of the site. The proposed development addresses a known constraint on the development of the site and demolition of the buildings - a confirmed bat roost for brown long-eared bats and common pipistrelle bats."
"Details of tree protection measures whilst building works are taking place have been received and a condition is proposed to ensure that they are implemented. Demolition of the existing buildings will require a licence from Natural England and this structure would be required as part of the compensation process for the loss of an original roosting site through demolition of a building."
The site is located close to the Flintham village cricket pitch and a group of former RAF houses. An ecology report produced at the time of the original planning application in 2016 said: "From the initial habitat assessment all of the hedgerows offer good foraging and commuting opportunities for bats and the location of the trees within the southern field give additional foraging opportunities.
"The village to the west of the site has numerous buildings which have the potential to support roosting bats and the site offers good connectivity for commuting and foraging bats." The application will be discussed by a meeting of Rushcliffe Borough Council's planning committee on Thursday, September 8.
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