A leading house builder is creating new homes in Suffolk, not only for discerning house hunters, but also for a protected native species.
Charles Church Anglia has worked closely with environmental consultancy firm, The Landscape Partnership, to help relocate Common Lizards from its site at Clare where building is due to commence in July to create the Chilton Place new homes development.
The lizards are being moved to a safe location in a nearby field, under the guidance of senior ecologist Nick Sibbett, who said: “Lizards are struggling to live in large parts of England’s countryside these days, but some have found a home at Clare.
“We have been working with the Charles Church team on site to catch the lizards and we’ve made habitat improvements to the field so they have a safe place to feed, breed and hibernate.”
The work has included clearing some space for the lizards to bask in sunshine, as well as developing grassland areas where the lizards can feed out of sight of predators. Several hibernation mounds have been made from recycled brick and concrete pieces, offering a frost-free place for the lizards to shelter in the winter.
Simon Woods, technical director for Charles Church Anglia, said: “We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and are passionate about building homes that are sensitive to their surroundings.
“So far 49 lizards have been rescued from the site and moved to their safe new home and we committed to continuing until we were sure none of the reptiles was at risk from the building work we’ll be doing at the site.
“Following the ecological work, we have some archaeological surveying to be completed which will ‘preserve by record’ all archaeological deposits on the site prior to development. We hope construction can commence in July.”
Chilton Place, on Stoke Road, will provide 60 family homes in a beautiful village location, built in a traditional style to blend in with the local historic conservation area.
Prospective purchasers are invited to register their interest by calling 0844 248 1196 or complete the ‘keep me updated’ form on the Charles Church website – www.charleschurch.com
Anyone registering their details will be invited to a priority launch, before the properties are advertised anywhere else, ensuring they are the first to know when these homes are released for sale.