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Actress Cate Blanchett's plans for a garden at her £1.6million Cornish eco-home could be halted by bats.
Oscar winner Blanchett, 56, submitted plans in January to transform the land surrounding her clifftop five-bedroom property in Mawgan Porth.
The seaside village dubbed 'Hollywood on Sea' has been frequented by a host of celebrities including David Beckham, Kate Winslet, Noel Gallagher, Jason Statham and Jamie Dornan.
Blanchett built the five-bed eco-home after she gained planning permission in 2022 to knock down the £1.6m cottage she originally purchased with her playwright husband, Andrew Upton.
However, her plans for the new gardens have been criticised as experts have warned that new lights in the garden could harm bats in the area.
Despite a survey in 2020 finding that no bats were roosting on the property, a report recommended that the property keep lighting low for the benefit of the animals.
The latest application includes four different types of lighting features on the design plan, including eight pole mount path lights, three spike lights under trees, three low-level step lights and four wall lights.
An ecologist has now raised concerns that three out of the four lighting options do not comply with the council's guidance on low lighting.
Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, 56, submitted proposals for the land around her clifftop, five-bedroom property in Mawgan Porth
Blanchett built the five-bed eco-home after she gaining planning permission in 2022 to knock down the £1.6million cottage she originally purchased with her playwright husband
Plans for the new gardens have been criticised as experts have warned that new lights in the garden could harm bats in the area
The condition wording of the original application given permission in 2022 stated: 'Prior to the use of the dwelling hereby approved, a lighting plan as set out in the submitted ecological report to comply with Bat Conservation trust Guidance Note shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.'
The previous report recommended outside lighting was 'minimised where possible'.
It added: 'Where lighting is required for safety or security reasons, it is recommended these are low level, capped to direct light downwards and placed on short timers.
'Metal halide, fluorescent sources must not be used. LED luminaires to be used where possible due to their sharp cut-off, lower intensity, good colour rendition and dimming capability.
'A warm white spectrum will be adopted to reduce blue light component. These would conform with Bat Conservation Trust recommendations for lighting.'
The preliminary appraisal of the building in November 2020 had assessed the building to have some suitability for crevice-roosting bats.
A further survey carried out in May 2021, in the main active season for bats, did not reveal any bat emergence from the building or any evidence of bats within the attic space.
There were also deemed to be 'no active bat roosts' in the building that would be impacted by demolition
But the report added: 'As bats were found to forage across the whole area, recommendations are made for a low lighting regime as well as proposals for ecological enhancement of the development.'
Previous applications regarding the construction of their property have angered locals, who complained their picturesque area had been 'ruined'
The latest plans were submitted to Cornwall Council by the couple on January 20.
They also include the 'mass planting' of olearia bushes, sea thrift, ornamental grasses like Ampelodesmos mauritanicus, and the 'scattering of Cornish boulders'.
The rest of the proposals includes installing hardwood decking next to the house, a grass driveway with concrete stabilisation from Greenstones pavers, as well as corten and cornish granite steps leading up to the large property.
The pair hope to have trailing Muehlenbeckia, a deciduous shrub which can be grown as a climber or ground cover, to create 'an evergreen curtain draping along the bank', and place ornamental trees (Phillyrea latifolia) next to the vehicle access site.
They have also proposed a boundary hedge of new Olearia Traversii, climbers to grow over balustrading (Lonicera alseuosmoides) and Oliaria Traversii to plant along their front room roof.
Previous applications regarding the construction of their property have angered locals, who complained their picturesque area had been 'ruined' and turned into a 'building site' with prices being hiked to 'unaffordable' levels.
One holiday home owner accused her of having a 'total disregard' for neighbours with the renovations.
Karen Burgess, who owns a nearby holiday let, alleged that 'noise' from the construction has 'destroyed' the holidays of her guests across the past year.
She claimed to have lost £60,000 in rental revenue due to the construction.