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RICKY Gervais has been forced to make a home for bats at his riverside mansion after they were found using his loft as a MATERNITY WARD.
He wants to knock down his existing £6m pad and build a new one complete with gym and tennis court.
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But a bat survey revealed that the roof of the existing house is being used as a roost by the furry mammals – a protected species.
More than 270 soprano pipistrelle bats were spotted emerging from the building and thousands of droppings were found in the loft.
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, it is an offence to disturb, injure or kill bats, or damage or obstruct their roosts.
It means that Gervais, 64, will need a special licence from conservationists Natural England before building work starts, if he gets the go-ahead.
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And he will have to build a special bat loft in his new garage and put up two bat boxes in nearby trees as part of a Bat Mitigation Strategy.
In a report, an ecologist said: “Because maternity roosts require a particular set of environmental attributes, breeding bats tend to return to roost and breed in the same locations year after year.
“Given that bats live a relatively long time (10-20 years) and only give birth to one pup a year, maternity colonies are crucial to the reproduction and survival of the local population and can be very sensitive to environmental change.”
Gervais first applied to knock down his four-bedroom home and build a new one with a raised ground floor and floodable void, last summer.
But the plans were sunk by local council officials over flooding fears.
The After Life and The Office star has now submitted revised plans for his Thames-side pad which has flooded five times since 1947.
A proposed side wing has been scrapped and an external staircase and staircase have been reduced.
The neo-Georgian-style new build will boast a grand entrance hall, gym, drawing room, reading area, lift and master bedroom with a terrace overlooking a tennis court and pond.
In a statement, Gervais’ planning agent said: “Very careful consideration has been given to ensuring that the proposed redevelopment provides new maternity roosting opportunities for bats both in the short and longer term.
“The proposed scheme seeks to create a high-quality, sustainable dwelling that will be flood resilient and significantly enhances its built and natural surroundings, whilst also providing a significant enhanced standard of living accommodation.”
Officials at the local council are expected to make a decision next month and there have so far been no objections from neighbours.
Gervais bought the 2,811 sq.ft three-bed property for £2.75million in 2014 but it is now believed to be worth £4.3million.
Two years ago, he applied for a first floor side extension but scrapped the plans after the local parish council objected, saying it was too close to the house next door.
The proposed neo-Georgian new build would boast a master bedroom spanning the entire northern elevation with a terrace overlooking the Thames, and a tennis court and pond.
It would also have a grand entrance hall, home gym, snug, TV area, drawing room, reading area and fireplaces, with front and rear flood guards.
In a design statement, Gervais’ planning agent said: “It is worth noting that there were no objections from neighbours to the proposal.
“The proposed scheme seeks to create a high-quality, sustainable dwelling that will be flood resilient and significantly enhances its built and natural surroundings.”
Gervais also owns a £14.75 million nine-bed mansion in Hampstead, London, with a spa and gym, and two New York apartments.
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