The property’s tenant was admitted to hospital with bite wounds after more than 150 bats flew into his living quarters and bedroom from the house’s roof structure in which they had been trapped.
When ecology experts examined the property in Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire, they identified the animals as Soprano Pipistrelle bats which are protected under European law.
Evidence presented by prosecutors from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) showed around half of the 300 bats in the colony had died of dehydration and starvation.
This came after work to install solar panels and external cladding blocked off the entrance to the bat roost within the roof of the building.
At Dumfries Sheriff Court on July 27, City Building (Glasgow), were fined £17,000 after pleading guilty to breaching animal conservation laws between June and July 2023.
Iain Batho, who leads on animal welfare for COPFS, said:
“It is the responsibility of those involved in construction work to ensure that due diligence is carried out to prevent the unlawful disturbance of protected wildlife or their habitats.
“City Building (Glasgow) failed in their duty to carry out that necessary due diligence which negatively impacted on a sizeable maternity roost and resulted in the death of around 150 bats.
“This impaired the ability of these bats to survive and rear their young during the maternity season and will impact significantly on the Soprano Pipistrelle bat population in that area.
“COPFS takes wildlife crime seriously and action will be taken against individuals or companies where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so.”
City Building (Glasgow) were contracted by the property’s landlord, Wheatley Homes South, to fit external cladding to the house and install solar panels.
Under the agreement for the work to be carried out, CBG were responsible for reviewing each property to identify the presence of bats.
However, this was not done in relation to the property in question.
Solar panels were installed on 23 June 2023, and external wall insulation was carried out between 28 June and 5 July.
This work was largely outsourced by CBG to subcontractors. The tenant remained within the address throughout.
On 14 July, the tenant and his family complained to Wheatley Housing South that a huge number of dead and dying bats were within the property.
The tenant was taken to hospital where he was admitted and treated for bat bites and was subsequently rehoused.
The ecologist estimated the roost had contained around 150 adult bats and a similar number of pups, making a total of 300 animals.
Around half were dead in and around the locus with others dying or trying to get out of the property most of whom were pups.
The bats appeared to them to be coming from a hole around the boiler in a bedroom where pipework went up to the attic area.
They could see new facias and work on the roof area preventing bats from entering and exiting the roof as they were able to prior to the work.
The injured bats were uplifted and removed for treatment.