Nature Works: 16-24 Orsman Road, Hackney N1 5QJ

 

A planning application for 16–24 Orsman Road, London N1 5QJ concerns a substantial development site on the northern side of Orsman Road, adjoining the Regent’s Canal in Hackney, making it strategically important from an ecological perspective, due to its role as a wildlife corridor and known foraging area for bats.

During the planning process, concerns were raised by Gideon Corby from Nature Works  regarding the potential impacts of the development on biodiversity, particularly bats. Surveys identified significant bat activity within and around the site, resulting in the inclusion of mitigation measures: planning conditions intended to reduce adverse effects.

A notable condition is Condition 9.1.53, which states that, prior to the first occupation of the development, details of the following must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority:

Technical specifications of the ambient light sensors (ALS) used for operating internal blinds and curtains, ensuring they are calibrated to independently draw down as daylight diminishes to a level requiring internal artificial light.

This condition is intended to minimise light spill from the development into the surrounding environment, helping to maintain darker conditions along the Regent’s Canal for commuting and foraging bats. It represents an innovative approach to mitigating light pollution by requiring automated internal blinds or curtains to reduce artificial light escaping through windows during the hours when bats are active (see below).


In addition to lighting controls, the mitigation includes the installation of bat and bird boxes, providing roosting and nesting opportunities to help offset habitat impacts associated with the development.

The inclusion of Condition 9.1.53 is noteworthy because it provides a practical planning mechanism for reducing ecological impacts from artificial lighting. It could serve as a useful example for other local planning authorities, particularly where development sites are adjacent to strategic ecological corridors or where proposals may otherwise conflict with policies on biodiversity conservation such as Kingston's Bat Species Action Plan which states that 'there should be no new lighting along rivers'. 

Wider adoption of similar conditions could help ensure that ecological considerations are more consistently integrated into planning decisions in sensitive locations. Options such as window film or low transmittance glass have been used at sites in Islington for example along Parkland Walk.



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