Le Figaro Nantes
Never overlook the power of a bat.
The town of Nort-sur-Erdre, located north of Nantes, knows something about it.
Due to a
“large colony of bats”
, the diversion project, led by the Loire-Atlantique department, fell behind schedule.
The information was disclosed in a press release from the departmental council, announcing the postponement of part of this work aimed at
“limiting significant traffic in the city center”
.
The first phase of the project, concerning the western part, was completed in October 2021.
The second section, concerning the east, should have started at the end of 2023. In vain.
Archaeological excavations and environmental compensation measures took place as part of the development of this 2.6 kilometer section.
Before starting the project,
“the State services requested, within the framework of the order extending the duration of authorization of the work, that an update of the fauna-flora and natural environment inventories be carried out”
.
Also read: These bats could derail a real estate project
A “nationally notable” colony
Carried out from February to August 2023, these inventories
“made it possible to confirm the absence of protected species issues in the areas of the second phase of work”
.
However, they
“highlighted the establishment of a new significant colony of bats
(bats, Editor’s note)
very remarkable at the national level”
in the surrounding area.
The latter
“was discovered by the Breton Mammalogical Group about one kilometer from the project.
These species are subject to national protection measures
,” underlines the Department.
Requested by
Le Figaro
, the Breton Mammalogical Group (GMB), a nature protection association which works in
“the five departments of historic Brittany”
, carries out population monitoring to observe developments.
Bats are part of their network.
“We alerted and requested an additional study
,” confirms a GMB project manager in Loire-Atlantique.
“The bats are in their colony to breed.
This is where they sleep.
But the mothers fly to other territories to hunt their prey
.
In this context, despite the distance,
“cars passing over the viaduct may collide with bats”
for example
.
Hence the importance of thinking about solutions.
The species unearthed take on a particular character in this geographical area due to their large numbers:
“600 lop-eared murines and 150 greater horseshoe bats (females)”
, specifies the GMB.
Their disappearance could unbalance the ecosystem and break the food chain.
“They are predators of insects and prey of certain species”
.
Also read: A major construction site stopped to save a colony of hedgehogs
Instruction by state services
For its part, the Department specifies that
“the development project does not directly impact the shelters of this colony”
, while affirming that it is working
“on the implementation of additional avoidance, reduction and compensation measures in order to 'avoid/limit any impact both during the construction phase and also during the operation phase'
.
This work was initiated at the end of 2023, and should be submitted to the prefecture by the end of the first quarter of 2024, where it will be examined for three to six months.
“The start of the work is therefore conditional on the favorable return of this instruction by the State services”
.
Other environmental and operational details could disrupt the schedule, as could a constraint linked to
“the presence of an agricultural operation”
.
In short, the start of construction cannot resume before the end of 2024,
“provided that all the necessary regulatory authorizations have been granted”
.
Or at least one year late.
Ultimately, the inhabitants of Nort-sur-Erdre will have to endure the nuisances linked to heavy goods vehicle traffic a little longer than expected, beyond 2028, the commissioning deadline initially envisaged.