New homes could include bat roosts and bird boxes under planning suggestion

One in five homes on the development in Wath upon Dearne would be fitted with either a ‘bat brick’ or nesting box to encourage biodiversity in the area, under a suggestion from experts.

Rotherham Council will decide on whether to allow 49 new homes be built to replace a former garden centre at Station Road in the town.

The application would see existing buildings go to make way for the houses and studies have been conducted to establish whether the site is inhabited by bats or reptiles.

Surveys to monitor each have come back negative, but experts suggest that care is taken if the site is developed in case any undiscovered examples are on site.

They also suggest that ten per cent of houses have a ‘bat brick’ installed in the build, to provide sanctuary if wanted, along with nesting boxes in another ten per cent, with planting of native species on the site to encourage biodiversity.

The site is also regarded as presenting no problems for transport, with analysts predicting the housing would result in fewer journeys to and from the site than in its previous guise as a business, with its location on the edge of Wath also meaning residents would be within an acceptable distance to walk or cycle into the centre.

A combination of those two elements meant it was not expected to add to pressure on the road network, or increase the risk of collisions, experts concluded.

Consultations on the proposals will continue until mid-March, with a decision on whether to allow the scheme to be taken after that.