Slowworms halt house building

The construction of more than 100 homes in Wiltshire could be delayed for up to six months after a colony of slowworms was discovered on site.

Hills Property bought the 2.5ha allotment site from Calne Town Council in March for £1.3m to build the houses, 17 flats for social housing and 26 allotments.

But, within 20 minutes of work starting at the site, the heavy machinery ground to a standstill after the colony, which had not been turfed out when the allotment holders were evicted a year ago, was found.

The slowworms are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but their habitats are not.

Their future is undecided, but it is thought that English Nature will take them to a safe place once they have finished breeding.