A COLONY of bats nesting in a disused cottage forced one of the region's water companies to alter part of its £7m flood defence scheme.

The protected species had been found nesting close to where Yorkshire Water was carrying out embankment improvements on Lindley Wood Reservoir as part of its Washburn Valley Reservoir Scheme.

Instead of demolishing Lindley Wood Cottage, as planned, Yorkshire Water built it into the raised embankment. Its first floor was redesigned to maintain the bats' flight-path and spaces were created in the roof to give them easier access.

Having finished work at the site, engineers recently moved on to the project's third and final phase to protect the Washburn Valley from flooding.

Attention has now turned to rebuilding the bridge and raising the level of the dam at one of the water company's most visited sites - Fewston Reservoir.

Yorkshire Water project manager Jim Claydon said: "Although of high quality already, all these reservoirs need additional work to raise the dams to meet current flood standards. The work we are carrying out now is merely planning ahead for the future as there is no risk at the moment."