Bollards brighten up bat cave (From Western Telegraph)

Bollards brighten up bat cave

Solar powered lighting bollards have allowed walkers and bats to share a tunnel running between Wisemans Bridge and Saundersfoot.

Pembrokeshire County Council has piloted the bollards to illuminate the tunnel during daylight hours to tackle vandalism and improve security on the public footpath and cycle track.

The bat colony which has called the tunnel home for over 100 years meant the lighting needed to be at a continuously low level so as not to disturb their natural habitat, while still being bright enough to provide a safe route.

The stand-alone bollards, designed and installed by South Wales-based SolarGen Solutions Ltd, fulfilled this brief as well as providing a cost-effective and sustainable lighting solution. Furthermore, the solar power lighting expert was successfully granted a bat licence from the National Assembly to install the lights.

Mel Stephens, street lighting engineer for Pembrokeshire County Council, said: "The use of solar power was by far the best and most practical solution for the council to address the issues of safety for the public and the bats. The nearest electricity supply is more than half a mile away and external cabling would have proved very expensive and disruptive.

"The use of solar power also fits well with our green approach to Pembrokeshire and I believe that using solar power is a definite step in the right direction for us."

Ashley Wood, sales manager of SolarGen, said: "Our unique solar solutions can be applied to just about every public lighting requirement. "These bollards meet all regulatory standards, both in terms of adequate lighting for a public footpath and a suitable level of light for the bats, and need very little maintenance."