A POPULATION of bats is to be protected before a multi-million-pound redevelopment of a park goes ahead.

Some 127 trees are due to be felled in Lloyd Park and Aveling Park, in Forest Lane, Walthamstow, as part of a lottery and council-funded £6million revamp, prompting wildlife surveys to be carried out.

During two recent council-commissioned bat surveys, experts found evidence of three different species of bats in some of its trees near the moat area and in Aveling Fields.

The report recommends to Waltham Forest Borough Council that to help retain the bat population, nesting boxes are installed throughout the park for resident bats and visiting bats, which can fly up to seven miles a night when foraging for food.

Lee Valley Bats was involved in carrying out the bat surveys and secretary Jeanette Sitton, who has been studying bats for three years, said they identified the different species by listening for their different sounds and looking for evidence of droppings or roost sites.

Ms Sitton, who gives guided bat walks in Lloyd Park, said the findings of the common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle and noctule is positive.

She said: “We have a healthy population of bats in Lloyd Park. The nostules are less common than the others ones, so that is really good.”

Ms Sitton said that the creatures are often misunderstood because of their association with vampires and said they are an important part of the habitat in the park which needs to be protected.

She said: “One of my major concerns is that they are planning to remove far too many trees. Bats rely on trees to survive, therefore I don't think trees should be removed for aesthetic reasons, only if they are a danger to people.”

Ecology and Land Management, which produced the report for the council, said there is no evidence that bats are nesting in any of the 127 trees due to be felled, but bats from other trees were discovered foraging nearby and need to be protected under the Countryside Act 1981, Conservation Regulations and under European law.

Adrian Stannard from the Friends of Lloyd Park, which prepared the plans for the park in conjunction with the local authority, confirmed that bat and bird nest boxes will be fixed to trees in the Autumn.

He said: “We are hoping the population will increase because there will be more trees planted in the end. The idea is to improve the ecology of the park so that all wildlife will thrive.

“The boxes will be put up in the moat area so they are not disturbed by vistors and we hope to improve the ecology of the moat itself so it doesn't have to be drained each year.”

The second stage of the £3.6million lottery bid was submitted at the end of July and a response is expected by Christmas.

For more information about guided walks or to report bat activity in your garden, visit www.leevalleybats.org.uk