This is the question which may face homebuyers in Woodhall Spa if a pair of proposed housing developments is given the green light.

East Lindsey District Council is currently considering a bid for 18 new homes in the village, which if approved would have to include space for bats to roost.

This is as a result of a survey conducted by Horncastle ecological firm Lapwings Consultants.

"It's quite a common request," said manager Tim Smith. "Over the last few decades bat numbers have declined quite a lot. It makes sense, where you can, to try to get them back to where they were."

The condition is found in the outline planning permission granted in 2005 to the Lincoln-based Land and Development Consultants.

It states that 'no works shall be carried out on the site until details of measures to be put in place for the creation of habitat for roosting bats…'

The report by Lapwings states this could be in the form of 'purpose built bat slates into the roof'.

Mr Smith said such a setup could attract anything from one bat roosting every now and then to a family in its tens.

Even then, he said, you may still not notice your winged housemates.

"If you do not go up into your loft and look around in great detail, then you might not see them."

"You would probably have to be very lucky to be stood outside and looking at your house at the very instant a bat came out of the slate."

"You could be blissfully unaware," he added.

The current application is from Spalding's Sovereign Homes, and concerns land east of 18 St Leonards Close and land behind Brookside, in Tattershall Road.

It will be the second time the firm has entered a bid for development on the sites, after having an application refused last year.

The consultation period ended earlier this month. East Lindsey District Council has given November 6 as the target date for the decision.


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