Related content

A bid to demolish a historic Wilmslow mansion and build a 53-bed care home has been withdrawn - and the plans may have been scuppered by bats.

The owners had planned to redevelop Langley House, on Stanneylands Road green belt, the half-timbered Victorian mansion which was built in 1886 overlooking the River Dean.

Agents Pickard Finlason Partnership, acting for applicants Mr and Mrs Ghani, from Altrincham, had not confirmed the reason for withdrawing the application at the time of going to press.

But Cheshire East Council planners were to refuse the application on various grounds, including a suspicion that bats, a protected species, may be present in the vacant property.

A bat survey was carried out by the applicants and there was some evidence of them recorded, but as the survey was undertaken at the wrong time of year planners were not satisfied. with the survey.

The officer’s report states: “The submitted report recommends that further surveys are undertaken at the appropriate time of the year to assess the importance of the roost and confirm the species of bat present.

“Bats are a European protected species and the local planning authority has a duty in the way it determines planning applications that may affect their habitat and resting place.

“As a matter of law, taking into account the information currently submitted, the Council is not in a position to approve this planning application.

“Irrespective of other issues to be determined the application should be refused on the basis of insufficient information to assess the impact on a European protected species.”

Wildlife expert Sean Wood, fellow of the British Naturalists’ Association and Citylife’s Laughing Badger, said: “Bats are protected full stop.

“Builders and developers have to go through the process of applying to move them, which can be granted but each case is considered.

“They will most likely be pipistrelles bats which are quite common, but a local expert will have to have a look at the site and a decision will be made according to the species of bat and what should be done to protect them.

“It may be they can be moved safely but bats can completely stop developments, much to the annoyance of developers!

“It’s vital to protect bats, they are part of our national diversity and the more effort is made to protect them the more there will be for the future.”

The building was originally known as Oakdene House as a Victorian mansion and was then in commercial use for a long period, most recently known as Amplivox House.