Construction firm fined over deaths of 150 bats

A construction firm which admitted the reckless destruction of a colony of 150 bats has been fined £17,000.

Dumfries Sheriff Court heard that the soprano pipistrelle bats died when holes they were using to enter and exit their roost were blocked.

City Building (Glasgow) LLP carried out the building works at 1 Blacklocks Vennel in Lochmaben, Dumfries and Galloway, during the summer of 2023.

The court was told that it was the biggest case of its kind in Scotland, and one of the biggest in the UK.

Soprano pipistrelle bats are among the most common and widespread in the UK. They have brown fur, black wings and a black face.

Their head and body measures up to 4.5cm (1.7in) and they have a wingspan of up to 23cm (9in).

The works took place between 14 June and 17 July 2023, and resulted in the deaths of dozens of bats, many of them young, the court was told.

The firm was working on a property used for sheltered housing.

The counsel for the defence said City Building felt deep regret for its action, and training courses had been put in place to prevent any repeat breaches.

Sheriff Scott Pattison reduced the fine imposed on the firm from £25,000 for their early plea.

A spokesperson for The Bat Conservation Trust said: "This sentence reflects a clear principle: breaking wildlife laws should never be cheaper than complying with them.

"When developers avoid the costs of ecological surveys, licensing or mitigation, courts can take that financial advantage into account alongside the environmental harm caused, the scale of the development and the offender's level of culpability."

A spokesperson for City Building said: "We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and recognise that, in this case, we fell short of the standards expected of us.

"Since this incident, we have introduced new working practices and strengthened our environmental training programme to ensure it does not happen again."