Natural England Have Replied – Here’s What It Means for Our Bats

A silhouetted bat gracefully flies across a tranquil soft green background.

Natural England have now replied to my concerns about the Golden Hay development. Their response confirms something crucial: Tewkesbury Borough Council alone is responsible for ensuring our protected bat species are properly surveyed, assessed and safeguarded before planning permission is granted.

This matters because the Council relied on an ecological report that contains missing surveys, outdated data and important gaps, despite Golden Hay sitting within an AONB with 11 bat species recorded nearby.

A simple, striking image showing a broken or incomplete survey line along a treeline (symbolic).

Natural England’s clarification strengthens our position. If the ecological evidence is incomplete or flawed, the Council’s decision is not legally secure, and further scrutiny is justified.

I’ve written a fuller explanation of what this means for our campaign and why it matters for wildlife protection in Dumbleton.

Why This Matters →