People living near a major building scheme could have venomous snakes slithering in their gardens if excavated soil is reused on the site.

Adders have already been relocated once as part of plans to build 125 homes between Overdown Rise and Mile Oak Road in Portslade.

Now the developer wants to use excess soil to add a landscape feature which would mean relocating the snakes a second time.

This would save the estimated 7,000 lorry journeys that would be needed to remove the soil from the Mile Oak site.

But only last month a dog was bitten by a snake – believed to have been an adder.

The incident happened in Gorse Close, which is next to the Clarion Housing Group scheme.

While playing in the garden, Lily, an eight-year-old labrador/border collie cross, was bitten by what her owner Clare Mitchell believes was an adder.

North Portslade ward councillor Peter Atkinson said adders had been moved to the northern end of the site.

Cllr Atkinson said: “They have been travelling back to their original nesting sites which, of course, are no longer there.”

While adders are venomous and can cause a nasty inflammation, their bite is rarely fatal. They are most dangerous to people who are young, old or ill.

Clarion’s proposal has drawn opposition from county ecologist Kate Cole. She said when other reptiles were being taken to another site – or translocated – last year, “significant numbers (of adders) were caught, with all being retained on site”.

The housing association’s aim, working with building contractor Thakeham Group, was to use the excess soil not just to build a landscaping feature – a tussocky grass bank.

The aim was also for the proposed embankment to act as a sound “bund”, reducing traffic noise from the A27 Brighton bypass.

Cllr Atkinson said: “We’ve tried to canvass local opinion and it’s about three to one in favour of using the soil on site at the moment.

“The extra traffic the development will create is still a major worry, as is the strain it will put on GP services.

“Parking won’t be a problem though as there are more than enough spaces on site. Flooding also remains a worry.”

Neighbours can learn more from Clarion and Thakeham staff at an exhibition at Portslade Sports Centre next Tuesday at 6pm. Invitations have been sent to about 300 nearby homes.

Work on the £35 million new estate is expected to last until June 2022, with Clarion having agreed a £24 million contract with Thakeham for the construction phase.