Plans by Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour and his wife Polly Samson to renovate their £2 million farmhouse in West Sussex may be delayed after protected bat species were discovered in the outbuildings. The 80-year-old guitarist and his writer spouse want to redevelop four dilapidated barns at their Grade II-listed property near Billingshurst.
Planning Application Details
Blueprints submitted to Horsham District Council, seen by the Daily Mail, describe the outbuildings as 'decaying', with one barn 'requiring urgent structural attention to prevent collapse'. The couple intends to transform the barns into a garden study, a pottery studio with a kiln room, and a guest bedroom with a shower room.
Protected Bat Species Found
However, an ecology study commissioned by Mr Gilmour revealed seven bat roosts in one of the barns, with droppings present. Species identified include soprano pipistrelle, brown long-eared, barbastelle, whiskered and Natterer's bats. Surveyors noted that four roosts would be retained, but three others in another outbuilding would be 'destroyed'.
'These are: soprano pipistrelle, brown long-eared and whiskered day roosts,' the report stated. To mitigate the impact, work will be 'timed to avoid bat hibernation season' between spring and autumn, and 'compensatory roosting opportunities will be provided'.
Legal Requirements
Mr Gilmour must now apply for a European Protected Species Mitigation Licence from Natural England to proceed lawfully. As part of the conditions, two bat boxes will be installed by a licensed ecologist on the first day of works. 'The box will face between southeast and southwest, at a height of approximately 3m, receiving several hours of daylight,' the study states. 'The box will remain in place for a minimum of five years.'
Architects describe the estate as having 'wonderful uninterrupted views over the surrounding paddocks and open farmland'. They argue the development would 'present no harm to the special interest of the listed building' and 'be of high quality that respects its rural setting'.
Expert Comment
Dr Joe Nunez-Mino from the Bat Conservation Trust told The Telegraph: 'Bat species are legally protected because they’ve suffered historic declines. A recent study showed that for one species that decline was 99 per cent. They are particularly vulnerable to factors that can also negatively impact other wildlife and people, from toxic pesticides to light pollution.'
Horsham District Council has yet to decide on the proposals. This is not the first planning issue for the rock star; last year he was ordered to tear down a garden shed at his Hove home. He also recently reduced the asking price of his seafront property in Hove to £8.95 million, a £6 million drop from its initial £15 million listing three years ago.
