Alan Carr’s proposal to turn part of his newly acquired Scottish castle into a community café and estate shop may face an unexpected obstacle: bats.

The Celebrity Traitors champion has been carrying out renovations at Ayton Castle after purchasing the extensive Scottish Borders estate for £3.25million earlier this year.

However, plans to repurpose a former potting shed and other ancillary structures on the historic grounds could be delayed amid concerns that the buildings may contain bat roosts.

Council planning officers have requested a detailed ecological assessment before the application can move forward.

Malcolm Ginns, ecology officer for Scottish Borders Council, said: ‘There is potential for the potting shed to host roosting bats and a daytime bat assessment should be undertaken.

‘This may require follow-up bat activity surveys, which would need to take place between May and September and cannot begin later than August.’

Carr’s scheme would restore a group of derelict traditional estate buildings, creating a café and shop intended for the local community while safeguarding the site’s original historic features through repair and conservation work.

Located near the English-Scottish border, Ayton Castle includes 17 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a five-storey Great Tower, turrets, a private chapel and 106 acres of listed gardens.

Carr has previously revealed that he intends to relocate permanently to the estate, with his renovation being filmed for a Disney+ documentary.

In response to the bat concerns, Carr’s representatives said a full ecological survey was already under way and that a report would be submitted once it had been completed.

They said: ‘Full awareness of the existing building’s historical significance is addressed and maintained and the adaptive use proposal sits well within the guidance issued by HES, allowing a long–term sustainable purpose for these estate buildings.

‘The proposal halts the further decay of these buildings and promotes a well–suited option for adaptive reuse.’

They added: ‘It is recognised that the building location presents potential for habitation by a potential variety of species.

‘To address this, an ecological study has been commissioned to determine the presence of any species within or adjacent to the buildings.

‘Tweed Ecology are currently undertaking a three–stage survey and their full report will be submitted shortly after the last stage survey has been concluded.’

No public comments have so far been submitted as part of the application.

Carr’s representatives have also acknowledged that some work was previously carried out by the former owners without consent, potentially requiring retrospective applications.

They said no recent applications had been submitted for work to the main castle, but some previous repair work had not been carried out or reinstated in the appropriate manner.

They said: ‘Some essential repairs have been undertaken which in some cases may not have seen full reinstatement by the previous owners.

‘Whilst this has no direct bearing on the potting shed application, the new owner and applicant is aware of these instances and is keen to work with SBC to ensure all permissions are retrospectively in place and work undertaken to fully reinstate significant features.’

The potting shed is currently described as being in a ‘general state of disrepair with severe dilapidation’, with missing doors and windows leaving parts of the building exposed to the elements.

A design and access statement from Lorn Macneal Architects Ltd, acting for Carr, said the plans form part of a wider effort to improve the estate and its visitor experience.

It states: ‘As part of a wider desire to enhance and improve the visitor experience to the estate and in tandem with a wish to properly manage and maintain the full range of estate properties, the applicant seeks to convert the potting sheds into a community cafe and estate shop.’

The potting sheds comprise four separate single-storey buildings, approximately 4m wide and 40m long, running north-east to south-west along the northern edge of a former walled garden.

The buildings are B-listed and are currently partially derelict and partially roofed, but are described as being in an overall dilapidated state.

The architects said the café would occupy the eastern end of the buildings, with the shop next door.

They added: ‘Ideally the cafe serves as a stopping point for dog walkers and estate ramblers but it is recognised that with no such facilities within the village of Ayton itself, there will ideally be a draw for local people to walk and cycle onto the estate to enjoy the nature and visit the cafe.

‘It is also anticipated that when the railway is operational, the cafe and shop will form a natural addition to this attraction, creating a small destination for narrow gauge railway enthusiasts.’

As part of his ongoing regeneration of the estate, Carr recently held an auction of around 400 unwanted items from the castle, offering buyers ‘the chance to acquire items from one of the Borders’ most distinctive country houses.’

Ayton Castle has a long and turbulent history as the site was originally associated with a medieval fortified tower, or peel, linked to the powerful Home family.

Its position close to the English border made it strategically important and, in the late 15th century, it was regarded as one of the strongest places between Berwick and Edinburgh.

In 1497, the castle was captured by the English, while the nearby village of Ayton gave its name to the Treaty of Ayton, signed that same year.

The medieval stronghold was later replaced by a more classical country house, which was destroyed by fire in 1834.

The estate was subsequently bought by William Mitchell-Innes, a banker connected with the Bank of Scotland, who commissioned the present castle.

The building seen today was constructed between 1845 and 1851 by architect James Gillespie Graham, with later additions by David Bryce and James Maitland Wardrop.

Carr’s purchase also sparked controversy after he initially said he would become a baron and have his own tartan.

His comments on a podcast prompted a backlash from some locals, who accused him of ‘cultural appropriation’ and called him an ‘invader’.

Carr later clarified that he had turned down the opportunity to buy the title.

A Disney+ spokesperson confirmed that the option to purchase the Baron title came with the castle but said Carr had opted not to take it.

The spokesperson also said the estate’s gates would remain open to dog walkers and ramblers.

They said at the time: ‘Alan Carr is very much looking forward to making Ayton his home and getting to know the local community.

‘The gates will remain open for the dog walkers and ramblers to continue enjoying the estate grounds.

‘Alan hopes to host a few events at the castle to help cover the running costs, showcasing Ayton’s stunning backdrop and the surrounding area, with as little disruption as possible.’

Carr previously said on the podcast: ‘It is my home, I have bought it, and I’m selling up and moving up there. I’m 50, I want a change.

‘I’ve got the survey now, and I’m waiting for the keys to come. It’s a lovely community, really small, and I want it to be magical.

‘I’ll be a baron, and I get my own tartan.’

British businessman Owain Davies has died after a light aircraft crashed in the Swiss Alps, killing all three people on board.

Mr Davies, 55, was travelling in a propeller-driven Cirrus SR22T when it crashed close to the mountain resort of Leukerbad in Valais, southern Switzerland, on Tuesday. Two other people were killed, including another British national.

The father of two was remembered by his company, Amcanu, as an “unstoppable force” and a cherished friend.

Davies had led the Burry Port, South Wales-based engineering business since 2000, taking charge 25 years after it was established by his father, Spencer Davies OBE.

In a moving tribute, the company said: “He was a familiar face on the factory floor, an unstoppable force, a mentor and, for many people who have spent a significant part of their working lives at Amcanu, a very good friend.

“Above everything else, he was a husband, father and grandfather.”

Amcanu said Davies was “a real character” — determined, strong-willed and spirited, while also reflective and immensely proud.

It continued: ‘There was another side of Owain that not everybody knew about. He loved flying.

‘Owain was an experienced pilot and aviation was a genuine passion – technically, socially and simply for the freedom and enjoyment it gave him.

‘He had a large circle of friends within the aviation community and would fly his helicopter whenever the opportunity arose.

‘He didn’t make a great show of it. In fact, many people who knew him professionally may never have known how important aviation was to him.

‘At the time of the accident, Owain was travelling as a passenger, alongside two of his closest friends.

‘The circumstances of his death are devastating, but flying was something that brought Owain enormous happiness throughout his life.

‘Owain was admired. He was respected. He was sometimes formidable. He was enormously caring.

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‘He was a husband, a dad, a grandad, a son, a mentor, a leader and a friend… And he will be missed more than we can possibly express.’

Amcanu added that Mr Davies was ‘a proud Welshman and Welsh speaker’ and had been a trustee of Wales Air Ambulance Charity since 2017.

The charity’s chair of trustees, Dr Kyle Jacques, said he had made a ‘significant contribution to the Wales Air Ambulance and the vital service we provide’.

‘Owain was a valued colleague and friend, whose loyalty and generosity of spirit meant so much to us. He will be greatly missed,’ he added.

Mr Davies previously worked  as a helmsman with Burry Port Lifeboat for nearly 25 years, the firm said. 

Officials say the plane took off from Sion airport in the Rhône Valley and crashed into a mountain slope around ten minutes later.

Firefighters, police and rescue teams in helicopters attended the scene but the cause of the crash is unknown.

A probe is underway by the Swiss Transportation Safety Board and Valais Police and the Office of the Attorney General are also investigating.

The Foreign Office has said it is ‘providing support to the families of two British nationals who died in Switzerland’.

‘Our thoughts remain with the families during this difficult time,’ it added.

Mr Davies’s son, Aron, said the family had ‘suffered an unimaginable loss’, describing his father as ‘driven, determined and someone who simply didn’t accept that a problem was too big to solve’.

Formal identification of the other victims is under way. 

An image of the crash site shared by local police showed the wreckage of the plane on a mountainside.

In a statement, the force said: ‘Shortly after 4pm, for reasons yet to be determined, the aircraft collided with the northern slope of a mountain in the Fluhalp area of ​​Leukerbad. 

‘Signs of smoke were subsequently reported in the region.’

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.