Rare Water Bats Save Youth Field in Harelbeke

A youth movement in the West Flemish city of Harelbeke has been granted an unexpected reprieve thanks to an unlikely ally: a colony of rare water bats. The discovery of the protected species in the underground culverts beneath the Gaverbeek stream has forced the city to revise its redevelopment plans, sparing the KSA Harelbeke’s grass field from being largely dug up. The municipal council voted on the evening of July 14 to preserve the field, marking a rare case where biodiversity protection has worked in favor of a local community group.

Background: The Gaverbeek Project

The Gaverbeek redevelopment project, a partnership between the city of Harelbeke, intercommunal organization Leiedal, and the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM), was first announced in 2021. Its goal was to “daylight” the buried Gaverbeek stream — bringing it back above ground from the provincial domain De Gavers to the Collegeplein in the Collegewijk neighborhood. The project, conceived through an extensive participatory process starting in 2018, aimed to enhance green space, climate resilience, and recreational value in the urban area.

Two squares along the stream’s trajectory were slated to be opened up: the Collegeplein and the grass field at the KSA (Katholieke Studenten Actie) youth movement premises. For KSA Harelbeke, which uses its field year-round for outdoor activities, games, and events, this would have meant losing a significant portion of its outdoor space.

An Unexpected Discovery

During preparatory works for the project, workers made a surprising find: a colony of water bats (Myotis daubentonii) had taken up residence in the underground culverts beneath the Stasegemsesteenweg. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the bats enter the culverts at De Gavers and follow the underground stream trajectory all the way to the KSA field, sheltering just under the manhole covers where it is warmest.

The water bat is a protected species under Annex IV of the European Union’s Habitats Directive, which requires strict protection of both the species and its habitats. Under Flemish law, the discovery of a nursery colony legally requires project plans to be adjusted to avoid disturbing the bats’ roosting site.

A Fortunate Turn of Events

Alderman Thomas Guillemyn, who has an active history in youth movement leadership himself, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “But look: fate is favorable to the youth movement,” he told HLN. “Work will start soon, and during the preparatory works a colony of water bats was found.” He added: “Personally, I’m not sorry about that.”

The revised plans mean the KSA grass field will be largely spared, with only some additional greenery planting planned. The Gaverbeek will still be brought above ground at the Collegeplein and at De Gavers, but the underground route past the KSA field will remain largely undisturbed to protect the bat colony.

Helene Pattyn, head leader of KSA Harelbeke, reacted with pleasant surprise. “We use the field all year round, both in summer and winter,” she said. “And we also like to use the field for events. Glad we’ll be able to use it in the future too.”

Why This Matters

This story is a notable example of a counterintuitive outcome in environmental regulation. Typically, the discovery of a protected species delays or blocks development projects — often to the frustration of local communities. Here, however, the water bats’ presence provided a legal justification for the city council to revise plans that were unpopular with the youth movement, allowing the alderman — who had personal reservations about the original plan — to support a different outcome.

As the City of Harelbeke’s official project page notes, the Gaverbeek project was partly motivated by climate adaptation, bringing water into the urban environment for cooling. The bat discovery created a tension between climate resilience goals and biodiversity protection — resolved here by a compromise that preserves both the stream (at other locations) and the bat habitat.

The water bat (Myotis daubentonii) is a medium-sized bat species that prefers open woodland near water bodies and hunts insects over water surfaces. According to the Flemish Natura 2000 portal, the species requires the preservation of its current range and a stable or growing overwintering population of at least 4,000 individuals in Flanders.

What’s Next

The revised plans have been approved by the municipal council, and work on the Gaverbeek project is expected to proceed in phases. The Collegeplein will still be opened up as originally planned, bringing the stream back to the surface at that location. The KSA field, meanwhile, will remain largely untouched — a small victory for the youth movement, made possible by some unexpected winged allies.

The case raises interesting questions about how environmental protection laws can sometimes serve as tools for communities to resist unwanted development, even when the original project had environmental benefits. As similar situations have occurred elsewhere in Belgium and Europe where protected species have influenced development outcomes, this story from Harelbeke may serve as a precedent for future negotiations between conservation and community interests.