Steve Coogan‘s plans to upgrade his lavish £4m country home could be foiled in true Alan Partridge style – by a great crested newt.
The award-winning comic wants to build a guest annexe in a disused stable block at his rural pile in East Sussex.
But he has been told that should he come across a single newt then all building work must stop immediately.
The 60-year-old entertainer lives in a large Georgian manor house on sprawling land in East Sussex. His latest spoof documentary ‘How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge)’ screened on BBC1 this autumn.
Coogan wants to convert an old stable building on his land to accommodate friends, family and guests when they come to visit him.
He has lodged a planning application to build a one-bedroom annexe with kitchen/diner, living room and bathroom, as well as a space below to store machinery and bikes.
The comic’s house of nearly 20 years is near an area of wetlands thought to be home to a number of the rare amphibians who often live in ponds.
According to his local council, there are 11 ponds within a 500-metre radius of Coogan’s home, including one on his land.
Steve Coogan’s plans to upgrade his lavish £4m country home could be foiled in true Alan Partridge style – by a great crested newt
The award-winning comic wants to build a guest annexe in a disused stable block at his rural pile in East Sussex
Now council officials have also told him that under no circumstances must he deliberately capture, disturb, injure or kill a single great crested newt as part of the work.
And he must also provide special ramps and covers over work trenches to prevent great crested newts falling in and becoming trapped.
The great crested newt is a protected species in the UK and it is an offence to destroy or disturb their habitat or harm them in any way.
If he fails to protect any newts found on his land he could be prosecuted under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, hauled into court and fined up to £5,000 or even jailed for up to six months.
In response to his planning application, Katie Ewers, a licensing officer working on behalf of the council, told Coogan: ‘Should great crested newts be found at any stage of the development works, then all works should cease. Stop all work immediately and leave the area.
‘Inform an ecologist immediately who will provide further guidance. Do not try to handle or rescue a great crested newt.
‘Do not resume construction works until advised it is safe to do so by an ecologist.
‘It should be noted that if an individual great crested newt is found at any point during the works a licence may be required to permit works that would potentially cause disturbance.’
Coogan wants to convert an old stable building on his land to accommodate friends, family and guests when they come to visit him
Coogan has been told that should he come across a single newt then all building work must stop immediately
It is an offence to deliberately capture, disturb, injure, or kill great crested newts; damage or destroy a breeding or resting place; intentionally or recklessly obstruct access to a resting or sheltering place. Planning permission for a development does not provide a defence against prosecution under this legislation.
Coogan’s latest project sees him star as football manager Mick McCarthy in a film about Manchester United legend Roy Keane.
Councillors will make a decision on whether to grant Coogan’s planning application at a later date.
