Bats get underfloor heating

02/07/2008

A Scottish building project was halted to provide heating to bats, it has been reported.

Construction firm Kier Homes was planning on turning the Winston Barracks near Lanark into 350 homes but were forced to stop when a colony of bats were discovered, according to Scotland's Daily Record.

As it is illegal to disturb the flying creature, construction worker were told to build a 'beat cat' to re-home them so the development can continue.

The £50,000 bat house, which is the first in Scotland, has been fitted out with an underfloor heating system and renewable energy from solar panels, while the animals have a tree-lined driveway leading to a nearby forest.

Jim Collins, area site manager with Kier, told the newspaper: "We can't do anything to disturb the roosts, so we decided to build them a new home.

"They have it pretty good really."

Although figures are not known for bats, use of solar water heating can provide a human home with around one-third of its hot water needs and save up to £80 a year on fuel bills.