PLANS to create 20 flats in Ammanford's College Street have been deferred to find out whether there are bats on the site.

Tai Cartrefi Cyf has applied for full planning permission for a residential development of between two and three storeys at 46-50 College Street, including new build and refurbishment of the existing building, to provide 20 flats, an associated management unit, and an office unit to be used by Tai Cartrefi Cyf.

Carmarthenshire County Council senior development control officer Graham Noakes told today's meeting of the planning committee that the application should be deferred for a bat survey to be carried out.

The site consists of the centre and end property of a terrace of three, at the corner of College Street and Iscennen Road, together with the adjoining, vacant site of a demolished property.

The proposal is to refurbish numbers 48 and 50 College Street to provide four and five self-contained flats respectively, with a new two-storey building of contemporary design to occupy the vacant site at the College Street frontage, to accommodate a ground floor office, with two apartments at both first and second floor level.

A second new building laid out in an L' shape configuration is proposed to extend along the side (south-east) and rear (south-west) boundaries of the site. Four apartments are proposed on both the ground and first floor of the building.