A bat conservation scheme at the UK’s largest self-build community in Bicester has been hailed as a success.
Active bat roosts at Graven Hill have increased from eight in 2024 to 11 in 2025, with further growth expected.
The development demonstrates that thoughtfully planned housing can support protected wildlife while delivering new homes.
Protecting bats from the start
When surveys in 2015 revealed bat roosts in abandoned buildings and woodland, Graven Hill Village Development Company (GHVDC) applied for a licence from Natural England to ensure demolition work wouldn’t harm the species.
Simon Dowell, ecologist at Waterman Infrastructure & Environment, said: “It’s great that we can provide for ecology alongside development.”
The licence required the creation of new roosts, continuous monitoring, and mitigation measures across the phased construction of 650 homes.
Innovative bat habitats
In 2021, GHVDC installed 45 bat boxes strategically across the site, designed to avoid residential disturbance while allowing wildlife enthusiasts to observe the bats at dusk.
Gemma Davis, customer experience director at GHVDC, commented: “The bat project is a fantastic example of how thoughtful planning, ecological expertise, and community awareness can deliver lasting benefits.”
The boxes range in size, with hibernation features capable of holding hundreds of bats, providing safe, purpose-built habitats.
These measures come shortly after the House of Lords voted on proposals to protect bats and other wildlife from housing projects.
A thriving bat population
Over half of the UK’s 18 bat species are now present on site, including common and soprano pipistrelles, Natterer’s bat, and brown long-eared bats.
Dowell added: “We’ve got a new phase of the development coming in and we’ll hopefully be putting more provision for roosting features around the site, so if we can bring in more of the species we’ve already got, plus some of the others… it’ll be great.”
The project proves that careful planning and ecological expertise can allow wildlife to flourish even amid large and small-scale housing developments.
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