logo
The little-known reason Scots should love BATS and why they're a lifesaver in the garden this summer

The little-known reason Scots should love BATS and why they're a lifesaver in the garden this summer

The Sun4 days ago
KING Charles is to provide a new home for bats at his Scottish mansion so work can go ahead.
Surveys found evidence of potential roosting sites after he applied for permission to build a luxury wedding venue in Dumfries House near Cumnock, Ayrshire, where bat boxes have now been installed in the grounds of the A-listed building.
4
4
4
But The King isn't the only one to be left in a flap over bats with a £100million 'bat tunnel' also constructed for the controversial HS2 rail line in Buckinghamshire.
Chief Features Writer MATT BENDORIS speaks to a top conservationist about why we need to help these nocturnal flying mammals.
DOCTOR Joe Nunez-Mino has many reasons why a thriving bat population is good for the environment but one should endear them to Scots more than others - their voracious appetite for midges.
As the biting insects continue to cause havoc at family barbecues and day-trips this summer, the one thing helping to keep them at bay are Scotland's airborne mammals.
And Dr Joe from the Bat Conservation Trust insists that our nine species of resident bats help in many other ways too.
He said: 'We can only estimate but we do know bats eat a lot of insects, each individual bat eating hundreds or even thousands (of midges) every night.
'Different bat species specialise in eating different insects, from biting insects like midges through to moths, including some insects that damage crops and gardens.
'To give one example, a study published last year estimated that bats in apple orchards reduce the total weight of apples damaged by codling moths by 50 per cent.'
In the UK all bat species and their roosts are legally protected by both European legislation and domestic laws including Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2017).
But since the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 it has been a criminal offence to disturb a structure or place bats use for shelter or protection.
'He is spooked' - Moment The Open commentator hides under his jacket as BAT invades broadcasting booth at Portrush
It means DIY and commercial builders have to carry out expensive bat surveys costing several thousands - or more if the mammals are found and need to be removed.
Dr Joe said: 'There is a cost associated with protecting the environment just like there is with health and safety or protecting historical heritage.
'While we as an organisation don't have any control or influence on the costs of bat surveys, we have worked with some Statutory Nature Conservation Organisations (SNCO) to streamline the process where possible.
'To avoid delays, it's important to take bats into account from the earliest stages of planning work.'
He adds: 'Having a bat roost does not prevent developing a property, bats just need to be taken into account as part of the process. Householders should seek advice from their SNCO.'
However Dr Joe believes that bats get a bad press including the 1km long bat tunnel in Buckinghamshire that added an extra £100million to the runaway cost of the HS2 rail line.
He said: 'We were not involved in the process. However, we do know that multiple cross-party inquiries have found that HS2's delays and cost overruns stem from mismanagement, not nature protections.
'HS2 did not carry out a timely strategic environmental assessment which could have identified viable alternatives that could have avoided significant expenditure and delay.'
While in 2002 Scottish wildlife artist David McRae, 56, from Tayside, died from rabies after being bitten by a bat - it was the first case of indigenous rabies in the UK in 100 years.
Dr Joe said: 'Two rabies-related viruses have been detected in two bat species in the UK and in only a very small number of individuals.
'If someone is bitten, licked, nipped or scratched by a bat they should wash and disinfect the area and urgently seek medical treatment.
'The NHS has said prompt post-exposure vaccinations have been 100 per cent effective in preventing the disease.'
But Dr Joe believes that work done by organisations like his and the stringent laws are helping bats, which have been in decline, to slowly make a recovery.
LAST March my wife and I bought an uninhabitable bungalow on Scotland's West Coast and wanted to pull it down before it fell down and replace it with a shiny new build.
But 16 months on there hasn't even been a spade in the ground because late on in the planning process it was suddenly announced we needed a bat survey.
The problem was by the time we were informed last year, the flying mammals would be hibernating for the winter and a dusk survey - with infrared cameras and sound equipment - couldn't be carried out until the spring.
In the end we didn't have any roosting bats, but it has added a £1,800 bill to the project we hadn't budgeted for.
Someone else in the area wasn't so lucky and it cost them £5,000 to have their bats removed by an ecologist.
But surely with all the technology now available there has to be a quicker - and far cheaper - way of checking where they are roosting, so people can get on with their projects?
And when I do finally get my new house built any neighbourhood bats are more than welcome to come and live rent free.
He explains: 'All bat species have suffered historical declines in population numbers but we have seen signs of initial recovery in some species.
'We are currently able to monitor five of the nine resident bat species in Scotland through the National Bat Monitoring Program.
'Of these five, four species - Daubenton's bat, Natterer's bat, common pipistrelle and brown long-eared bat - show no significant change since the base line year of 1999 and one species has increased - soprano pipistrelle.
'Bat conservation is important because they are a vital part of our natural heritage which make up around a quarter of our mammal species and they also play a critical role in the ecosystem.
'There is very good evidence that bat populations help to reduce the need for pesticides which ultimately harms the health of other wildlife and people too.'
He adds: 'Scotland would have a lot more midges and other insects without them.'
*For more information on the Bat Conservation Trust visit bats.org.uk
4
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How you can claim up to £20K a year to help with kids during summer holidays
How you can claim up to £20K a year to help with kids during summer holidays

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

How you can claim up to £20K a year to help with kids during summer holidays

HAVING kids is expensive – and the financial pain only gets harder in the summer holidays. Summer clubs cost an average £1,075 for the six-week break, according to Coram's Holiday Childcare Report, so it's vital you claim all available support. Anna Stevenson, benefits specialist at Turn2Us, says: 'There are a lot of schemes to navigate and often people don't know where to start, but there is help there when you know where to look.' Mel Hunter considers what help you can apply for — and it's worth up to £20,247 a year. FREE CHILDCARE PLACES - up to £7,500 a year ALL families in England are entitled to 15 hours' free childcare a week for three and four-year-olds. Working families can also access some free childcare hours from when their children are nine months old. From September, eligible parents will be able to get 30 hours' free childcare a week from nine months until school age — but you need to apply by August 31. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have alternative schemes, so it's worth checking what applies for you. THE Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme gives children from lower income families access to holiday activities, including a free meal. It is mainly for primary school children who receive free school meals. Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence However, some councils keep places for other children considered in need. Anna says: 'Schemes like this, which are administered by the local authority, can go under the radar.' TAX-FREE CHILDCARE - up to £4,000 a year THE Government will pay £2 for every £8 you spend on childcare, capped at £2,000 per year per child (or £4,000 for a child with a disability). But around 825,000 of the 1.3million families who are eligible do not claim it. Anna says: 'People don't always realise that they can get help covering the cost of childcare once their kids are out of nursery, when they may be using after-school or holiday clubs.' CHILD BENEFIT - £1,355 a year THIS is paid to anyone with a child under 16, or under 20 if they are still in education. It is worth £1,354.60 per year for a family with one child and £2,251.60 per year for a family with two. It seems a no-brainer, but around £1.6billion in child benefit goes unclaimed each year. With child benefit, there is no cap so you can claim for as many children as you have. The level at which you are entitled to the full amount changed last year. Now you can get it if no one in your household earns more than £60,000, up from £50,000. If you earn between £60,000 and £80,000, you are entitled to some of it. If you earn more than £80,000, you are not entitled to any. It is still worth filling in the claim form, even if you do not want to get payments, to get National Insurance credits which count towards the state pension. UNIVERSAL credit is the main benefit that can be claimed by families on a lower income, but the 1.4million households that don't claim could be missing out on an average of £5,772. You cannot get universal credit if you or a partner you live with have more than £16,000 in savings. But you may still be able to get it if you work. Mandy Jackson, a rights adviser with the charity Working Families, says: 'Anyone with a child should check if they are eligible.' SURE START MATERNITY GRANT - £500 THIS is a one-off payment of £500 to help with the costs of having a newborn in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You can apply if you have no other children under 16 and you or your partner get certain benefits. If you live in Scotland, you can apply for a Best Start grant, worth up to £767.50. Designed to support families with young kids, it comes in three payments. FREE breakfast clubs are being rolled out in primary schools across England. These give kids an extra 30-minute session before school where they get a free breakfast. If you are eligible for these you may be able to get help from your local authority during the summer holidays. Check to find out. My nursery costs are cut by £1,440 3 MUM-of-two Sam Kennedy Christian is a coach who helps parents juggle work and childcare. Sam, 39, uses the tax-free childcare scheme and finds it very helpful. She explains: 'I started using it when [my daughter] Rose, who's now seven, started at nursery – and over the years it has saved us a fortune.' Currently, it cuts nursery fees for her son James, two, to £480 a month instead of £600 – saving £1,440 a year. The family has been getting 15 hours' free childcare for James each week, but that will rise to 30 hours in September. That will cut their bill by a further £240 a month. Sam, from Herne Bay, Kent, says: 'It's a lot to get your head around, but it's so worth it.' It can also be a godsend for clubs in the school holidays for Rose, Sam adds. With the average cost around £30 a day where Sam lives, she ends up paying £24 herself, with the rest covered by the govern-ment payment. Sam says: 'Saving £6 a day is very helpful. Over the summer, it will save us £60.' PENSIONS ARE TAX TARGET GRIEVING families will soon find the process of sorting out a loved one's finances much harder following a huge change to Inheritance Tax. The government has confirmed that pensions will become subject to Inheritance Tax from April 6, 2027. Currently, money left in your pension after you pass away can be passed on to a loved one without any need for them to pay Inheritance Tax. The Inheritance Tax rate is 40 per cent, and is charged on the estate – the property, possessions and money, of someone who has died – if it is worth more than £325,000. A loophole means many wealthy pensioners are using pensions as a way to pass down most of their money because they are so tax-efficient. The changes mean that this loophole will close – but experts have warned that it will pile pressure on grieving families. Inheritance Tax needs to be paid within six months, and usually before you can apply for probate. But tracking down pensions takes time, delaying the process of applying for probate. Probate is the legal process of dealing with a person's death, and it can take months to get it granted. Former pensions minister Steve Webb said: 'Life is tough enough when you have just lost a loved one without having extra layers of bureaucracy on top. 'It is hard to see how these changes will be good news for bereaved families.' STARLING ACCOUNT UPSET 3 ONLINE bank Starling has shaken up its current accounts, causing a big stir among customers who are desperate for the change to be reversed. The bank, which has more than 4.6million UK customers, will no longer let its users open a second current account. Starling previously let customers open an extra everyday bank account, free of charge. Savers raved about the perk because it was a great way for them to manage their money. But the digital bank has told The Sun it has temporarily stopped allowing customers to open additional accounts while it 'improves our account offering'. It quietly suspended additional accounts last year, and clients have been calling on the bank to bring back the feature. One customer posted to X this week: '@StarlingBank when will additional accounts be back? I had one and would like to enable it again.' Another posted in January asking: 'Can I create a second personal account in @StarlingBank?' One customer said on Reddit: 'I'm sure it used to be a thing when I first started with Starling, but now I get 'you've reached your personal account limit' with one account, and 'you're not currently able to apply for this account' when I go to open a Personal Additional.' Starling said: 'Customers are still able to apply for a joint account, provided both are Starling customers. 'Joint accounts are limited to one per customer.'

Man at war with council after he is ordered to demolish extension because of 'nonsense' complaint from neighbours
Man at war with council after he is ordered to demolish extension because of 'nonsense' complaint from neighbours

Daily Mail​

time10 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Man at war with council after he is ordered to demolish extension because of 'nonsense' complaint from neighbours

A furious homeowner is at war with his local council after he was ordered to demolish his extension and wood-burning chimneys. Gerrard Caughey has branded the decision 'nonsense' after planning chiefs said he built the sunroom at his Glasgow home without permission. Mr Caughey was slapped with two enforcement notices by Glasgow City Council (GCC) but took his fight to the courts where the government ruled against him. According to the council, his neighbours were also unimpressed with the extension, built in 2018 and attached to his ground-floor flat, and in particular with smoke billowing out of his chimneys. While inspectors said the sunroom was not in 'character' with the original property, a listed building, or the wider street. Mr Caughey fumed: 'I think it's nonsense. Most folk I speak with in the area love the smell of the smoke, and I use it very occasionally.' Speaking to STV, he said the sunroom was built with high quality Spanish hardwood shipped from abroad, and stated the state of the orangery, which had previously been in place when purchased, was 'dangerous and a 'shambles'. Mr Caughey added: 'You can't even see the garden from out in the street. It's not causing anyone harm or anything.' Challenging the notion there were numerous complaints, Mr Caughey's planning agent said as part of his appeal: 'GCC enforcement allude to "various complaints" with regards to the structure. 'We are aware of one complaint from the neighbouring property, and we understand there have been long-running disputes from them. 'My clients are not aware of any further complaints from within the area and we would suggest therefore the word "various" has been used spuriously in the compiling of the GCC report.' The sunroom was built as an extension to the mid-19th century terraced building in 2018, but GCC say no planning permission was ever sought for it. Mr Caughey, however, argued that the property had a single-storey sun room attached when he purchased the property in the 1990s. The orangery was said to be in a 'dangerous condition deemed irrepairable' by Mr Caughey, a builder himself, and so he removed the glazed element and left the foundation and floor in-situ to return to at a point in the future. He says the sunroom was re-instated in 2018 based on the 'original footprint'. He also argued in the appeal that the council did not respond to queries about retrospective planning permission and that a prior notice about the flues had been dismissed - GCC refute this. While the extension was installed at the back of the property, two flues, for the wood-burning stove within a workshop in the garden, were put into place to face the lane which runs to the back of the property. The council ordered the removal of both in November last year on the terms that there was no planning permission or listed building consent. Mr Caughey's appeal also argued the sunroom had been installed six years before the enforcement notice was served. The council also ruled the smoke from the chimneys have a 'direct impact on the amenity of the neighbouring properties'. When MailOnline visited the street, neighbours expressed the same concerns. They said that 'black smoke' coming from the chimneys was concerning surrounding residents and that it was visible streets away on Dennistoun's main road of Duke street. Mr Caughey, who lives in the property with others above and below, was unavailable when the Mail attempted to contact him. A man who said he lived in the basement of the listed building shouted abuse and told our reporter to go away. However, one neighbour, who did not want to be named, admitted to complaining about his chimneys and sunroom. They said: 'I don't have anything to say other than the fact we were not happy. 'It's was not so much the summerhouse as the smoke from the fires which was a big aspect of things.' Admitting that other neighbours were concerned about the effect that it might have on younger children, they added: 'You could see the smoke from Duke Street as you walk up the hill. 'It's black and it's heavy and a few neighbours can see it but I don't think anyone wants to comment more about it. 'It was so bad that neighbours took a video of it at the time.' Another neighbour added: 'I know about the double chimney but we personally didn't complain about it. 'There is a nursery around here though so maybe it affected some of the people who use that.' Planning convener for Dennistoun Community Council, Brian Johnston, had written a letter of support for the extension, writing that the work had been 'carried out with a sympathetic regard for the original building' and praised the workmanship and design as being of a high quality. While the flues stick out onto a back lane, the council said they were not a 'sufficient distance' from neighbouring houses and stated that a retrospective planning application would also be refused. Simon Bonsall, the reporter appointed to the case by the Scottish Government, concluded that planning permission was required for both structures and that this had been breached by bypassing the process. Listed building consent was also refused for the sunroom as he ruled: 'While the effect of the orangery on the setting would not be harmful, I consider that the orangery through it's design, location and materials would not be in keeping with the character of the listed building.' A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: 'It should be noted that it was the Scottish Government - not Glasgow City Council - which dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the structure does not benefit from either planning permission or listed building consent and that the wood burning stoves were causing disamenity to the surrounding homes. 'It should also be understood that unauthorised alteration of a listed building is a criminal, not civic, offence and therefore carry a higher magnitude of scrutiny. 'The claim that we had withdrawn a notice and that there had been an attempt to submit a planning application is not true, indeed it was admitted that the resident left their application in the drafts section of the online planning process and did not submit it.' If Mr Caughey wishes to challenge the appeal decision, he would have to take the case to Scotland's highest court, the Court of Session.

I've found the best supermarket sourdough loaves worth adding to your weekly shop
I've found the best supermarket sourdough loaves worth adding to your weekly shop

The Independent

timea day ago

  • The Independent

I've found the best supermarket sourdough loaves worth adding to your weekly shop

Remember a time before sourdough ruled the bakery roost? A simpler time, when tiger bread was a fancy weekend loaf, or a French stick would be a solid go-to. Now, sourdough is everywhere and has even become a status symbol. Some bakeries with cult followings sell out each morning (even on weekdays) and have queues snaking out the doors. So of course, supermarkets had to get in on the action and create their own. Thought to date back thousands of years to ancient Egypt, sourdough isn't new, but what defines it is hard to agree on. ''Sourdough' isn't a legally protected term, so technically any bread can currently be called sourdough,' explains Swie Joo, head baker at The Palmerston restaurant in Edinburgh, which bakes all of its excellent own sourdough onsite in its downstairs bakery. Generally, to be considered a sourdough, the bread must be made with a live sourdough starter (a culture made from natural yeast, not shop-bought, and bacteria) and go through a slow fermentation process. Joo advises checking the ingredients list of a sourdough loaf before you buy because if it has 'yeast' listed, it's not a genuine sourdough, as yeast should not be added. Sourdough is a leavened bread, meaning the dough naturally rises as a result of the natural yeast, creating the distinct air pockets. A well-made sourdough has a good spongy 'crumb' (the bread's internal structure) with evenly sized and distributed air pockets. If fermentation or the bake goes wrong, it can lead to 'tunnelling', where the holes are too large and frequent. In a bid to see if supermarkets could really impress with their sourdough loaves, I taste-tasted my way through more than 20 loaves. Here's how I got on. How I tested First and foremost, I kept the advice from head baker Swie Joo in mind, analysing the ingredient list of each loaf. I then tasted more than 20 loaves, including pre-sliced and non-sliced loaves from all the major supermarkets' own range. I also tested some well-known branded and higher-end options that are available in supermarkets. Where available, I chose a white loaf, so each sample was as similar as it could be. I ate it plain, in sandwiches and as toast with butter. When taste-testing, I considered the below: Crumb: I was looking for a decent crumb (the interior of the bread), which should be spongy, fairly open with evenly sized and well-distributed air pockets. A well-fermented sourdough should have a moderately open crumb with holes and a springy texture. The overall rise was also considered. Crust: I noted the exterior of the bread and whether it had a good crusty crunch. I also considered whether any of the loaves had toppings, such as seeds. Taste: A sourdough loaf is known for its delicate sour and tangy taste, so I assessed how noticeable this was. I also assessed whether the taste leaned towards traditional white sourdough or had earthy, nutty notes typical of a wholemeal loaf. Shelf life: I monitored how long each loaf stayed fresh, noting when signs of staleness and mould appeared. Sourdough tends to last around two to three days before it starts to stale and may show mould after five to seven days. If it lasted longer than this, it may suggest that preservatives were used in the bake. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Emma Henderson is a self-confessed foodie. She was also the editor of IndyEats, The Independent' s monthly digital food magazine, and was twice shortlisted for 'best food magazine' at the Guild of Food Writers Awards. She's sampled everything from Michelin-recommended menus to the best olive oils, so she knows exactly what is worth savouring. When it comes to sourdough, she's tasted the good, the bad and the questionably stodgy all in the name of journalism. Every loaf in this review has been rigorously tested, from sniffed and sliced to slathered in butter. The best supermarket sourdough bread for 2025 is:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store