Paintball no threat to bats or birds?

The developers of a proposed outdoor activity facility for paintball have insisted it will not damage the environment, including a protected horseshoe bat in a nearby protected house.

Horatio Vasiu and Stranislav Goreanschi, Host Paintball, Tralee, recently lodged a planning application to develop an outdoor activity facility at Deerpark South/Calaun, Quin.
In its request for further information, the local planning department expressed concerns the proposed development could result in the fragmentation of habitat, population or breeding area of the bats, birds and mammals.
It expressed concern about the disturbance of breeding, commuting and foraging ground for mammal and bird species through ground clearance, noise, traffic and lighting.
In order to address these concerns, the council requested a species and habitat survey of the subject site and an ecological assessment of same. It noted the existing access point to the site should be altered to ensure emergency and fire vehicles could access the proposed development.
The ruins of Cullaun House, which are located about 600m from the proposed site, are home to a maternity and hibernation roost of Annex Two species of lesser horseshoe bat.
The proposed Natural Heritage Area of Lough Cullaunheeda is located about 500m to the north-east of the site and the site itself consists of planted Coillte Beech woodland on a limestone outcrop with a bramble, fern and moss under storey.
In a letter to the council, the developers claimed that for the majority of the year, there would be no disturbance at all, if any, caused by their business.
They pointed out the proposed area doesn’t stretch out near any public roadway and would be fully enclosed to insure no deer or other animals are in or around the games area.
The fencing would be designed in such as way that any small animals could easily go under the fence and birds or any other flying animals such as bats, can’t get stuck or trapped in it.
“As the site will only operate during daytime hours, it will be almost ­impossible to intermingle with any of the wildlife of surrounding area, as most of the species are not active throughout the day.
“Based on the fact that we are not intending to operate after sunset and there will be no floodlights used, it is understood that the bats colony located at Cullaun House are safe to continue to inhabit the surrounding area.
“This proposal will involve minimal intervention in this Coillte woodland. No felling of trees is proposed. No excavation other than that necessary to bed the log structure shelter in the ground will be necessary.
No alterations of paths, tracks or clearings are proposed, other than minimal making good with material similar to what is existing,” they stated.
The developers argued the advantages concerning a paintball development are many, given the primary aim of paintball is to utilise the natural environment. In fact, they described it as a completely non-destructive sport designed to be fine-tuned with the surroundings, which is also environmentally friendly.
Paintball pellets are 100% ­biodegradable. They contain an environmentally friendly colour fill and are made of a natural food-based vegetable ingredient that is harmless for the soil as well as the trees, playing equipment and gear.According to the developers, the results of a survey carried out by ANV technology on an established paintball company in Newcastle West, County Limerick, found noise emissions from a sample paintball gun were not significant.
“The predicted noise level of 22 dB at houses up to 400m by day is well below this guideline limit. Consequently, the development is predicted to have no noise impact.
The colony of the bats and other animals that are nesting in the ruins of Cullaun House would not have more than one third of the noise guideline limit.
“The cars of the occupants of this area, passing on the road by the ruins daily, are making bigger noise than our development would be able to produce. The noise level from any vehicles visiting our site would be of a much lower volume than the machinery and plant truck used by Coillte along the same area,” he said.