AN EMERGENCY survey has been commissioned to find out whether a building - scheduled for demolition to make way for a new York homeless centre - is home to bats.

Council bosses ordered the survey after a student claimed if bats are roosting in the Fishergate building, it would be illegal to disturb them by demolishing it.

City of York Council planners are tomorrow set to give the go-ahead to proposals to relocate the Peasholme Centre to Fishergate, with officers recommending approval despite concerns raised by local residents and English Heritage.

But jewellery student Leonie Jones has written to the authority to claim bats are using the property to roost.

Leonie, who attends classes at the York School Of Jewellery, based at the Fishergate Centre, which is scheduled for demolition, said she understood all species of bats in this country were considered a European protected species, making it illegal to disturb their roosts by demolishing the building.

"I visited the property on April 11 at dusk and observed a number of bats, which are clearly using the property," she said.

"I observed between three and five bats who were using the courtyard of 4 Fishergate as a feeding ground and one particular bat who hunted constantly, never leaving the boundary of the property for the 15 to 20 minutes that I was able to observe the behaviour before darkness fell."

Fishergate councillor Andy D'Agorne said a full bat inspection should be carried out before any decision on demolition was made, and he understood a survey was now being conducted.

A council spokeswoman said a bat study had been carried out earlier this year, but unfortunately the surveyor had been unable to gain access to the loft area.

"We have now commissioned an emergency survey to find out whether bats are using the buildings.

"If bats are confirmed as being present, then these will be fully taken into account through the protected species licensing process and suitable and adequate mitigation will be put in place.

"Even if bats are not confirmed as being present, then suitable roost features are likely to be incorporated, if new buildings are put in place."