THE long-awaited demolition of a redundant Winchester GP surgery has been delayed after the discovery of a pair of bats.

Friarsgate Medical Centre was due to have been knocked down by now to create a new public open space between Friarsgate and Busket Lane.

But the bats are protected and it is illegal to disturb them when they are occupying a building. The two bats are believed to be pipistrelles.

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The council said it is taking every precaution to minimise the disturbance of any works on this protected species, in accordance with its legal obligations. There are believed to be a small number of bats occupying the 1970s building which has been empty for several years.

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An ecology report has been commissioned to determine exactly where the bats are roosting and the best options for relocating them close by.

Once the bat surveys have been completed an application for the demolition and reuse of a park will be formally submitted to the council's planning department.

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Cllr Tod, Leader of Winchester City Council, said: “Protecting the district's wildlife and biodiversity is very important to us and it's also important that the city council is held to the same standards as everyone else. While we're keen to demolish the Friarsgate building, create the new pocket park and start to open up the waterways as part of revitalising the central Winchester area, we're making sure the bats are properly looked after first.”

The proposed park will open up public access to the Itchen stream that runs under the building.

In the long-term the area will be revamped under the Central Winchester Regeneration, also known as Silver Hill.

Under the previous Conservative administration on Winchester City Council the area, including Friarsgate, was rebranded as Saxongate.