Alan Carr's £3.25M castle cafe plan hits bat hurdle

Comedian Alan Carr's plans to transform part of his new Scottish castle into a community cafe and estate shop could face an unexpected hurdle - bats.The Celebrity Traitors winner has been renovating Ayton Castle after purchasing the sprawling property for £3.25 million earlier this year. However, his plans to convert a former potting shed and other ancillary buildings at the historic estate have been delayed amid concerns over the potential presence of roosting bats.A full ecological assessment has been requested by council officers before the planning application can proceed.Council orders bat assessment before plans can move forwardAccording to a report by the Daily Mail, Malcolm Ginns, an ecology officer at Scottish Borders Council, said there was potential for the potting shed to provide a roosting site for bats and called for a daytime assessment."There is potential for the potting shed to host roosting bats and a daytime bat assessment should…