A27 Arundel bypass: Campaigners claim National Highways’ bat mitigation is not fit for purpose

Lyminster, near Arundel: The oak trees in the distance are thought to be maternity roosts for Soprano Pipistrelle bats and will be felled due to the bypass.

Campaigners challenging National Highways over its plans for the Arundel Bypass claim rare and protected bats, which breed and forage in the countryside where the Arundel Bypass is planned, will not survive its construction and future operation.

Campaigners believe National Highways have failed to fully inform the public of the real impact of the route, claiming ‘temporary adverse impact on bats’ when they think there will actually be an ongoing, very large, adverse impact.

The current supplementary consultation is consulting the public on proposals to mitigate the impact of the bypass on bats, but campaigners say bat mitigation only comprises of a very small section of the consultation document and mainly describes how arrangements detailed in previous consultations in 2019 and last year have been watered down or removed.

The Arun Countryside Trust responded to the supplementary consultation to say the mitigation planned for bats is not fit for purpose and bats on the eastern side of the scheme near Lyminster have been completely ignored. The group’s report states an oak tree in Lyminster, which would be flattened by the scheme and from where 28 soprano pipistrelles have been seen emerging, from what is thought to be a maternity roost, has no mitigation in place at all.

Sixteen of the 17 breeding bat species in the UK are found in the countryside where the Arundel Bypass would be built. Bat surveys carried out by National Highways have identified Bechstein's bats and Barbarstelle bats which are categorised as 'near threatened' and are on the UK Red List. The even more rare alcathoe bat is found in the locality and is so rare that there is less data available, which makes its protection vital, campaigners say. Protected grey long-eared bats have since been identified by National Highways to be in the scheme area at Walberton. A fourth species monitored locally, the serotine, is classed as 'vulnerable' on the UK Red List.

Steve McAuliffe, a parish councillor for Walberton, and the newly elected district councillor for Arundel and Walberton, is also a consultant ecologist and is studying for a master’s degree researching protected species legislation and mitigation.He said: "The design of the bat bridge proposed near Tye Lane, Walberton is not supported by any research which shows that it is likely to be effective. I'm only aware of one example of a bat bridge that has shown some promise. This bridge is 30m wide with vegetation running along each side to provide a quiet and dark central corridor through which bats can fly safely. National Highways have told me verbally that the bat bridge proposed here is only around 7m wide and doesn't have a central quiet corridor. I haven't found any examples of a bat bridge like this that have been able to effectively mitigate the negative impacts of a major road on individual bats or their wider conservation.”

Jacqueline Thompson, consultant ecologist and botanist, pointed out in a report for the Arun Countryside Trust that: “Any vegetation to be used on overbridges or for directing bats to crossing structures (as would be required for the overbridge at Binsted Lane) takes years to grow and develop into effective guidance structures for commuting bats. The practical feasibility of such an achievement, prior to the road opening, is not at all certain.”

The wide array of species of bats in the area is due to the quality and quantity of the different habitats offered within the scheme area which, in turn, support a wide diversity of invertebrates upon which the bats feed. Campaigners say this unique habitat will be seriously degraded by the construction and operation of an 8km dual carriageway running straight through it.

Several studies have found that traffic noise reduces foraging efficiency for many bat species, and appears to cause avoidance by bats. It has been suggested that noise may also deter bats at crossing sites.

Sally Ward, from the community group Walberton Friends and Neighbours, said: "Arrangements for bats have been downgraded in the current supplementary consultation. So-called green bridges, thought to have the best chance of bat survival, have been downgraded to mixed-use bridges or narrow elevated hedgerows over busy, noisy, lit junctions such as at Tye Lane.”

“Fifteen per cent of UK species are threatened with extinction. Of the G7 countries, the UK has the lowest level of biodiversity remaining. At a minimum, the UK has failed to meet 14 of the 19 Aichi biodiversity targets, the global nature goals the UK committed to meet by 2020.”

People can email their views to [email protected]