Bat roost plans at former brickworks housing site

Plans to build new homes for bats have been submitted by a company hoping to redevelop what was once the world's largest brickworks.

The former Stewartby brickworks in Bedfordshire has outline planning consent for 1,000 new homes, a school and community facilities.

Property developer Harworth Group acquired the 130-acre (50-hectare) site, which is about six miles (10km) from Bedford town centre, last year.

An application has been made to Bedford Borough Council to construct a "bat kiln", to compensate for the loss of bat roosts that currently exist within kiln structures set to be demolished.

During the planning process, the site was found to be home to bat roosts including in two former kilns.

Harworth Group is required to provide alternative roosting habitats before demolishing the existing buildings, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The new kiln would be constructed outside the main development boundary and include 26 bat boxes of various types, to accommodate different species.

Harworth Group has also submitted an application to erect a bat house to the west of the site, to mitigate the loss of the bat roost in four structures authorised for removal.

The housing site could eventually become neighbour to a Universal theme park, which has been proposed at the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks.

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