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Bats protected during work on De Nieuwe Meer interchange

Surveys have shown that the De Nieuwe Meer includes foraging areas for two species of bat: the common pipistrelle and Daubenton’s bat. The area also contains some important flight routes. Chris van der Geest, Nature & Landscape consultant for Zuidasdok: ‘The bats use the water next to the Schinkelbrug bridge as a connection route to get from the trees growing alongside Jaagpad, IJsbaanpad and Jachthavenweg to reach the Nieuwe Meer. They also use part of the A10 embankment for foraging. In the exemption application, we indicated which measures we will take to protect the bats.’

Bat protection

Chris explains that the contractor TriAX will need to take a range of measures: ‘The work lighting needs to be covered to prevent it pointing at water or into dark corners. The edges of the site will be sown with a mix of herbs and grasses. If trees need to be removed, some kind of mobile green areas will have to be put in place to maintain a (green) structure for bats. Also, as soon as activity has finished on part of the sites, planting needs to be put back to provide something for the bats. There really are lots of different measures.’

Detailed picture

Chris and his colleagues have been working on this for years: how do you enable animals that may or actually are in the areas affected by the Zuidasdok works to continue to lead as normal lives as possible? ‘When the plans were first put forward, more than a decade ago, we conducted numerous surveys and studies’, he explains. Thanks to these surveys and websites like www.waarneming.nl and the national flora and fauna database, much more information has become available about the different species and their habitats. Van der Geest: ‘We now have a much more detailed picture of which species might actually occur in the area. That includes grass snakes, small mustelids, sparrowhawks, buzzards and tawny owls. Not because they’ve been spotted in the area, but because we know that they occur in similar areas. We already knew a lot about bats, but we now have a much better understanding of their flight routes and foraging areas. We also made good use of the Green Plan for the Verdi neighbourhood, for which our colleagues in Amsterdam did some extensive research into species that may be present.’

Nature Conservation Act exemption

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has issued a draft exemption decision. This draft decision will be open for consultation for six weeks, from 24 November until 4 January 2023. During this period, anyone who wishes to can submit an opinion. After 4 January 2023, the opinions and views received will be processed. A definitive decision will follow after that. That decision will also be open to consultation for six weeks, this time to provide opportunity to appeal to the Council of State.

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