Extension approved despite concerns over bats

A two storey extension to a home built on the site of a former school has been approved despite concern at its impact on a bat population. 

The development at Pipistrelle Court, named after the flying mammals, has proved controversial as the original developer is accused, by Monmouthshire council, of having failed to comply with the approved plans for the redevelopment of the former Llanfoist school site, near Abergavenny. 

The county council’s planning committee was told the application should be considered on its own merits. 

But Llanfoist and Govilon councillor Ben Callard said the extension is planned for land where trees would have been planted according to the original plans for the two new houses that were built in 2020. 

He said he sympathised with the current applicant’s need for additional accommodation but said: “There has been local opposition to this.” 

He said the extension is planned for a “bat corridor”, and said there are also concerns as to how close it will be to a neighbouring property. 

The Labour member said: “It is right in the middle of a bat corridor, even if it does have light controls it is not going to encourage the local bat population.” 

He “urged” the committee to reject the application but Conservative member for Mitchell Troy and Trellech, Cllr Jayne McKenna, noted the council’s own biodiversity officer and Natural Resources Wales were satisfied with changes made so that the extension doesn’t harm the bat population. 

Planning officer Andrew Jones said had the trees been planted in line with the original plans they could still be removed if an application to fell them was made and said as an alternative had been put forward, and accepted, the original planting wasn’t the only method of supporting the bat population. 

The committee, which approved the application, was also told there was no “adverse impact” on neighbouring properties.