Flaybrick National Bat Study Centre (Wirral)

The Project Guidelines / Brief

1. Renovating the chapel building, in full/part to house bat study centre with under-floor Hubernacula and Nursery roost facilities, study centre, lecture theatre, offices, dormitory and living space. The restoration would include the re-roofing of the two main chapel buildings and vestibules, the re-erection of the 100ft spire and the opening of the walk.

The ground management will involve planting night scented plants to attract insects, also the creation of “pond scrapes” to encourage other wildlife.

The process of encouraging a specialist predatory species to increase its use of an area, can only be achieved by a systematic increase in the natural biodiversity of an area. Whilst most of the ground management in the Memorial Gardens will be limited by the obvious use of the burial facilities, there are places where the increase in habitat can be achieved. Management for the increase of habitat will also extend onto Bidston Hill SBI (a neighbouring site, of 127 acres of mixed woodland, wet heath, lowland heath and amenity grassland, located across Boundary Road). Ground Management will include:-

• Creating several small pond areas/habitats to increase biodiversity and provide water for bat species.
  
• Wild flower area creation Rose Bay Willow Herb, Sallow and Soft Rush, Iris around pond margins should increase insect diversity.
  
• Marginal wildflower areas around walls and areas not used for headstones. Possible stewardship involvement.
  
• Continued management of the woodland/ grassland/ heath fringes good hunting areas for bats.
  
• Creation of some clearings to allow ground flora to grow and encourage insects.

• Planting of night scented, native species on Bidston Hill and some ornamental planting in Flaybrick Memorial Gardens.
  
• Creation and management of feeding corridors along pathways and around sites containing water.
  
• Re-generation of pine woods new trees planted in clearings, including some alternative species.
  
• Improve ground cover by native species in open clearings (bramble, Nettle etc)(temporary fencing maybe required to prevent trampling)
  
• Erection of Bat boxes made by local schools, throughout woodland (and some form of licensed monitoring scheme). In the Eco building, workshop at Tam O' Shanter Urban Farm. Surveying bats leaving these purpose built homes “not disturbing the roosts”.

The Friends of Flaybrick are backed by...