A team of volunteers gathered at the derelict Baily’s Buildings in Glastonbury on Sunday, March 23, to plant trees as part of an ecological project that will show how wildlife can be considered and respected during large-scale renovations.
The Grade II listed buildings, which fell into disrepair after the factories ceased operations in the 1980s, have since become home to wildlife including nine different species of bat and a variety of nesting birds.
Granted to the Beckery Island Regeneration Trust (BIRT) in 2011, the Baily’s tannery and glove factory is now being regenerated to create a vibrant space for local businesses, educational groups and community activities.
A variety of ecological surveys have been done at the site in order to identify the buildings’ ecological value prior to renovation, with solutions devised to ensure that the wildlife using the site can continue to do so. 
Temporary bat roosts have already been established as part of the enabling works, and now trees are being planted along a section of the western bank of Mill Stream to create a natural dark corridor that will guide bats from the new bat lofts, along the stream, to connect with the wider landscape.
Josh Butterworth from Geckoella, which undertook the ecological surveys at the Baily’s Buildings, said: “It was fantastic to see so many enthusiastic volunteers helping to create important habitat for the project. This will be vital to the long-term ecological value of the site, and highlights how greenspace can be integrated within development projects. The design provides landscape-connectivity from the site to its surroundings for those species that use it, which includes a huge variety of bat species – including local rarities like greater and lesser horseshoe bats.”
Ian Tucker, Chair of BIRT, said: “We are grateful to everyone who came along to be part of our community tree planting day, with particular thanks to the Glastonbury Conservation Society which donated all the plants. It’s important that this project demonstrates how wildlife should be considered within a large development project, providing the right ecological environment so that people and wildlife can coexist, so it’s great to see some of the local community turning up to lend a hand.”
The renovation of Building West is now underway, with this phase of work being funded by a £6.3m grant from the Glastonbury Town Deal.
Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, Chair of the Glastonbury Town Deal Board, was one of the volunteers who took part in the community tree planting day. She said: “Yet again volunteers have given their time, skills and energy to a Glastonbury Town Deal project. This is so important and we are very grateful to everyone who came. It was really enjoyable working together to plant lots of trees and to see the significant work and progress happening on the Baily’s West Building.”
Funded by the UK Government as part of the Towns Fund programme, the Glastonbury Town Deal is bringing £23.6m of investment into Glastonbury, representing a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the town. The purpose of the funding is to help towns increase economic growth, including a focus on regeneration, skills and enterprise infrastructure, connectivity and culture.
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