Repairs Delayed After Bats Take Up Residence In Symington Building
Written by HFM News on 5th April 2023
Major maintenance work to the outside of Market Harborough’s historic Symington Building is being delayed after bats took up residence in its tower.
The discovery means Harborough District Council will now have to obtain a licence and put measures in place to safe-guard the brown long-eared bats, a protected species, before any work can begin.
File pic of a bat & the tower at the Symington Building
The bats particularly like to roost in old buildings and hibernate between November and April.
A council spokesperson said: “We can confirm there is evidence of brown long-eared bats at the Symington Building.
“We are working with an ecologist to put any necessary mitigations in place whilst the external work to the building is carried out.”
When work can get underway, repairs to masonry, windows and the building’s tower will be carried out by a specialist contractor, in a project costing £472,000.
