A planning application has been submitted for the construction of a bat kiln at the former Stewartby Brickworks site near Bedford, as part of ecological mitigation efforts linked to the site’s redevelopment.
The application, submitted by Avison Young on behalf of Harworth Group plc, seeks approval to build a single bat kiln to compensate for the loss of bat roosts that currently exist within kiln structures that are set to be demolished.
The Stewartby Brickworks site is to undergo a major transformation, with outline planning permission granted in 2021 for up to 1,000 homes, a school, employment land, and community facilities.
During the planning process, the site was found to be home to bat roosts, including two former kilns. Harworth Group is required to provide alternative roosting habitats before demolishing the existing buildings.
The bat kiln will be constructed outside the main development boundary and will include 26 bat boxes of various types to accommodate different species.
If approved, the bat kiln will enable demolition work to proceed on the kiln structures while ensuring bats are not displaced without appropriate mitigation.
More information can be found on the council’s planning portal, reference 25/00295/FUL.
The overall consultation expiry date is Wednesday, 12 March 2025.
Under a separate license, Harworth submitted a planning application (Ref.24/02368/FUL) to erect a bat house to the west of the site to mitigate the loss of the bat roost in four structures authorised for removal.
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
