Chris Evans, 52, lodged plans last month to bulldoze his derelict eight-bedroom house in Ascot and build a new property containing 14 apartments
Chris Evans' plan to make millions by building luxury apartments at his former £3.8million home could be halted due to bats.
Evans, 52, lodged plans last month to bulldoze his derelict eight-bedroom house in Ascot, Berkshire and build a new property containing 14 apartments.
Under the proposals, eight three-bedroom flats will be built, which local estate agents believe could fetch up to £1.2 million each, as well as six two-bedroom flats that will likely go for £1million each.
The luxury development, which lies in Sunninghill, near Ascot, will have underground parking for 26 vehicles - and an existing swimming pool and tennis court would be retained for communal use.
But ecology officers at Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council said that the site was 'used by roosting bats', and therefore the proposals would harm the small mammals.
Ecology officer Abi Gazzard, said: 'Two buildings on site were assessed as having ''high'' potential to host roosting bats, whilst the mansion was found to have previously supported a small roost (a low number of droppings was recorded internally).
'As such, two emergence and one re-entry survey were undertaken in accordance with the best practice guidelines in June-August 2018 (the results of which are still considered to be valid).
Evans bought a nine-bedroom mansion in the Berkshire town for £3.5m in 2010 - and shrewdly retained ownership of his previous home, the neighbouring eight-bedroom Beechgrove (pictured: An aerial shot of Beechgrove)
'A peak count of one serotine, one common pipistrelle and two soprano pipistrelles were recorded using the building.
'The proposals will therefore result in the loss of several bat roosts, and
