Former Hollyoaks star Davinia Taylor WINS planning battle to transform £1.7m countryside estate into luxury wellness spa – but must make room for BATS in bizarre biohacking makeover twist - suong

ACTRESS Davinia Taylor has won her battle to turn a barn into a gym and health spa at her historic country home - but will have to make room for bats.

The former Hollyoaks star has splashed out on a Grand Designs-style makeover of her £1.7million rural retreat which boasts a new outdoor swimming pool.

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Now the weight loss expert wants to convert a crumbling barn at the 19th Century pad into a private gym and health spa with a sauna and two treatment rooms.

The former stables will also have a ground floor gym, lobby and staff quarters with an en-suite bedroom for an employee to help run the estate in Lancashire.

But a bat survey carried out ahead of the proposed development found common pipistrelle bats - a protected species - flying into the barn.

It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to intentionally or recklessly harm or disturb them, which means Davinia will have to put up special bat boxes on the barn and nearby trees.

In their report, an ecologist said: "Due to the transient nature of bats, their presence can never be entirely ruled out and a precautionary method of working should be adopted.

"Therefore if bats are found during any stage of the development, work should stop immediately and a suitably qualified ecologist should be contacted to seek further advice."

Davinia, 47, played Jude Cunningham in Hollyoaks and is also a former party girl and member of the Primrose Hill set, having previously been married to David Beckham's pal Dave Gardner.

She and husband Matthew Leyden bought their historic country home four years ago after it came onto the market for the first time in years.

The 6,723 sq.ft property boasts original period features including cornice ceiling and working fireplaces with stunning countryside views in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Davinia has previously been given the go-ahead for a garden room extension and 26x9ft swimming pool, and has now applied for a "change of use" of the barn to a residential annexe.

In a design statement, her planning agent said: "The front-facing elevation is in a very poor state of repair and requires complete rebuilding. 

"The conversion of the barn does not affect the existing domestic residential curtilage and, as such, will not result in undue harm to the visual amenity of the area or character of landscape.

"Bats were found to be present and, as such, the relevant protective measures must be adhered to on commencement of any restoration works/alterations."

Officials at the local council gave the go-ahead after there were no objections from neighbours in the designated conservation area.

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