Planned refurbishments to the Old Pavilion in Calverley Grounds have been delayed after an ecologist found bats roosting.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council were due to waterproof the roof, install an accessible toilet with a baby changing table and let-out the pavilion’s main space to a small business.
But the find of two common pipistrelle bats roosting in the roof led to the plans being put on hold with a further survey now required.
A spokesperson for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said: ‘As is normal practice when refurbishing an old building, bat surveys are always carried out along with other surveys.
‘When the pavilion was surveyed the ecologist found bats roosting in the building, this means that under the Wildlife and Countryside Act [1981] no work can begin until after the breeding season later in the year.’
Friends of Calverley Grounds group said they and the council had been approached by several organisations about the use of the pavilion.
A spokesman said: ‘This included a small business that would like to use the space for craft workshops as part of their offering.’
