Protecting the environment

Birse Civils and specialist subcontractor, Middlemarch Environmental, have been working with a wide range of organisations, including Natural England, English Heritage and the  Environment Agency, to protect wildlife and the environment. Ecological surveys have identified protected species on the site, including great crested newts, bats, otters and orchids. A range of protection measures have been introduced, including:

• Moving newts from the site to a safe location, improving existing newt ponds to encourage breeding and creating new ponds.
  
• Introducing new bat boxes, offering alternative roosts around the site, and installing bat deflection fences. 
  
• Creating new homes for otters (known as holts) from logs and cut vegetation.
  
• Moving orchids to Kingmoor Nature Reserve. 
• Installing otter proof fencing to prevent them from crossing the road.
• Providing mammal tunnels under the road to allow them to cross safely.
• Installing bird boxes to encourage nesting of sparrows and tits.