Bats could hold up renovation plans at Alan Carr's Scottish castle
Comedian Alan Carr's plans to redevelop Ayton Castle could be held up by bats.
The Celebrity Traitors winner has been renovating the Berwickshire castle since he bought it for £3.25m earlier this year.
But a scheme to change a former potting shed and ancillary buildings on the historic site into a community cafe and estate shop could now hit the buffers - over the potential of roosting bats.
A full assessment has now been ordered to be carried out by council officers before the application can proceed.
Malcolm Ginns, an ecology officer at Scottish Borders Council, wrote: "There is potential for the potting shed to host roosting bats and a daytime bat assessment should be undertaken.
"This may require follow-up bat activity surveys which would required to be undertaken between May and September but cannot start later than August."
The castle boasts 17 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a five-storey Great Tower, turrets, a private chapel and 106-acre listed gardens.
Its renovation is being filmed as part of a Disney+ documentary..
In response, Carr's representatives said a full survey was being carried out and a full report on the outcome will be submitted once it's complete.
They said: "Full awareness of the existing building’s historical significance is addressed and maintained and the adaptive use proposal sits well within the guidance issued by HES, allowing a long term sustainable purpose for these estate buildings.
"The proposal halts the further decay of these buildings and promotes a well-suited option for adaptive reuse."
They added: "It is recognised that the building location presents potential for habitation by a potential variety of species.
"To address this, an ecological study has been commissioned to determine the presence of any species within or adjacent to the buildings.
"Tweed Ecology are currently undertaking a 3-stage survey and their full report will be submitted shortly after the last stage survey has been concluded."
Carr's representatives have acknowledged some work had previously been done by the former owners without consent - that could require some retrospective applications to be submitted in the future.
The potting shed was described as being in a "general state of disrepair with severe dilapidation".
A design and access statement from Lorn Macneal Architects Ltd said: As part of a wider desire to enhance and improve the visitor experience to the estate and in tandem with a wish to properly manage and maintain the full range of estate properties, the applicant seeks to convert the potting sheds into a community cafe and estate shop.
"Ideally the cafe serves as a stopping point for dog walkers and estate ramblers but it is recognised that with no such facilities within the village of Ayton itself, there will ideally be a draw for local people to walk and cycle onto the estate to enjoy the nature and visit the cafe.
"It is also anticipated that when the railway is operational, the cafe and shop will form a natural addition to this attraction, creating a small destination for narrow gauge railway enthusiasts."