Plans by former Top Gear host Richard Hammond to renovate his £2 million Welsh mansion are facing potential delays and modifications following the discovery of eight species of bats inhabiting the estate. The television presenter, 56, purchased the six-bedroom Georgian property in Llanwenarth, Abergavenny, for £1.99 million in March.
Hammond's proposed renovations include the addition of a heritage-style showroom to house his car collection, a library, and a memorabilia gallery. The plans also involve replacing the existing tennis court with a padel court and pavilion. However, these ambitious refurbishments have been complicated by a survey revealing that the 21-acre estate is home to multiple bat species.
All bat species in the UK are protected by domestic and European legislation, making it illegal to kill, injure, or disturb them, or to damage their roosts. Consequently, any renovation work that could impact bats or their roosts is strictly regulated by local and conservation authorities, including Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
According to NRW guidelines, development, infrastructure, or maintenance work cannot proceed if it is likely to affect bats or their roosts, unless a specific species mitigation license has been obtained. Furthermore, work must be halted immediately if bats or evidence of their presence are discovered during renovations.
This legal framework suggests Hammond may need to integrate bat-friendly features into his renovation designs, such as bat voids or specialized bat lofts within the roof structures. Dusk surveys have identified the presence of species including the brown long-eared, common, and soprano pipistrelle bats on the property.
Photographs submitted to Monmouthshire council show bat activity in and around a stone barn that Hammond intends to convert into a bar. The survey report noted access and egress points among the roof tiles of this barn. The report explicitly warned that without preventative measures, the planned work could lead to the loss or disturbance of bat roosts on the property.
The surveyor's conclusion stated that a European Protected Species license for bats will be required for the proposed conversion and extension of the barn complex. The report also specified that measures must be implemented to mitigate disturbance to bats and their roosts, and to compensate for any loss of roosts.
Hammond submitted his renovation application to Monmouthshire council last month, with public consultation and planning consideration scheduled to conclude on September 16. The presenter previously resided in a Grade II-listed Bollitree Castle in Herefordshire with his ex-wife Mindy, from whom he announced his divorce after 23 years of marriage about a year before purchasing the Welsh estate. Following the divorce, Hammond lived in a rented countryside farmhouse.