Strong objections have been raised over a plan to build three town houses on land behind a former newspaper office on the grounds that it would disturb nesting bats.

Devizes Town Council has voted unanimously to oppose the proposals for the Grade II listed former district office of the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, pictured below, which closed two years ago.

Clenche Properties, which has already converted the upstairs of the main part of the 19th century building into flats, wants to knock down a former printing press at the back to make room for the town houses.

The company also aims to convert the upstairs of the old building, on Market Place, Devizes, into a flat and use the downstairs as an office.

The council has lodged the objection on the grounds the work would disturb nesting bats, it was an overdevelopment of the land and would be too close to neighbouring homes.

The closure of the offices in January 2013 brought an end to the Gazette & Herald’s 195-year presence in the town.

All reporters and photographers on the Newsquest-owned title now work out of the company’s Trowbridge offices.