ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners are calling on the Vale council to take action to protect bats on the site of a Penarth development.

Friends of the Earth in the Vale say hibernating bats have been found on the site of the Northcliffe development and want action to prevent them being disturbed.

Planning approval was given for the 30 flats in September 2017 after a previous application was refused in January last year.

The presence of bats in the area was one of the reasons cited by opponents to the plans for rejecting them because of the local authority’s duty to protect them.

Other objections included potential detrimental effect to the iconic view of the headland, being out-of-character with other buildings in the conservation area, concerns over the provision of parking spaces and the loss of trees but the planning committee voted in favour of the officer’s recommendations to approve the proposal from Celtic Developments Ltd.

The campaigners say that the developers and the council are aware that the clearance of the trees requires a license from Natural Resources Wales.

It is understood that the developers have stopped the work temporarily for further investigations.

Friends of the Earth say the Vale council has a duty to stop the disturbance of hibernating bats and destruction of their roosting places.

“Any such disturbance of a protected species requires a license, that has to meet strict conditions”, said Max Wallis of Friends of the Earth’s Barry and Vale group.

He added: “The planning consent says work has to be stopped if bats are found.”

One resident used a bat detector on loan from the Wildlife Trust to record disturbed bats starting from December 20.

Friends of the Earth have called on the council’s chief legal officer to take action under their duties to have regard to habitats legislation.

Cllr Jonathan Bird, Vale of Glamorgan Council cabinet member for regeneration and planning, said: “The council has recently received complaints from local residents and Friends of the Earth about the possibility of bats being disturbed by work carried out as part of the Northcliffe development in Penarth.

“Council officers are investigating the matter alongside police and can take enforcement action if there is a breach of planning control occurring.”