A BATTY new scheme will safeguard protected wildlife as plans advance to demolish a blot on Cardigan Bay’s coastline.
In anticipation of the possible future demolition of the St David’s Hotel in Harlech, the Snowdonia National Park Authority has appointed a contractor to construct a bat barn to rehome the colony of bats that reside in the derelict hotel.
The hotel has stood empty for a number of years and is rapidly deteriorating into a ruin.
Back in 2015 the SNPA issued the hotel’s owners with an enforcement notice to demolish the building. Failure to comply resulted in two subsequent prosecutions, but the building is still standing.
As there is no indication that the owners intend to demolish the hotel, the SNPA has been exploring the possibility of taking direct action by undertaking the demolition work itself.
The owners of the St David’s Hotel have paid out £21,900 in fines for failing to comply with the notices.
Although the demolition of the building is still subject to securing funding, the authority is keen to address other issues to help facilitate the work should funding become available.
A key issue is the building of a structure within which the bats that currently reside in the hotel can be trans-located.
All species of bats and their roosts are protected by law, and the authority is working with specialist ecologists on the issue.
To this end, the national park authority, with permission of the owners, has appointed a contractor to construct a small bat barn on the site.
Weather permitting, work will take place on the site between now and mid March.
Jonathan Cawley, Snowdonia National Park Authority’s director for planning and land management, said: “Constructing the bat barn is an important part in the process of removing the eyesore that is the derelict hotel.
“We will continue to pursue the issue of demolition, but there are still significant constraints to overcome – with financing the work being the primary issue.”