Richmond Council's plan to re-develop the derelict swimming pool in Twickenham could be foiled by bats.

The flying mammals have been seen over the past few years by residents of Eel Pie Island, opposite the site.

Proposals for the site include a 3-400 seat auditorium cinema, shops, workshops restaurants and private housing.

When the developers Alsop Zogolovitch went back to the drawing board they said they would unveil new proposals in September. But now they will not submit their new proposal to the policy and resources committee until November.

A spokesman for the London Ecology Unit said: "All bats and their roosts are fully protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.

"There is a legal process all councils have to go through and it depends on the time of year as to how long that can take. One main factor is whether bats are roosting or not. They have to consult with English Nature as the first part of the consultation then they may call us in. We would then inspect the site then pass our findings on to the council."

A spokesman for the council's planning department said: "We do need evidence there are bats living on the site before we proceed. If there are bats there we would have to consult the London Ecology Board and English Nature.

"We understand some bats are protected and others are not; it depends on the species."

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