HUNDREDS of snakes, lizards, mice and voles have been relocated to sites across Sussex after being moved from a former landfill site.
All wildlife living on the Decoy Farm in Worthing has been moved to more suitable habitats as work to bring the household waste site back into use begins.
As part of the ecological work, 74 slow worms and 12 common lizards were moved to Worthing’s Heene Cemetery, where their habitat is being looked after by the Friends of Heene Cemetery.
WSP ecology, an environmental consulting service, has been supporting Adur and Worthing Councils, on the preparation of the site.
The team worked with the council’s park rangers to release all of the grass snakes found into suitable areas of Larkfield, in Lancing.
Ecologists also worked with Natural England to close two badger setts.
Rosie Pope, a senior ecologist for WSP Ecology, said that a total of 235 invertebrate species were recorded at the site.
She said: “Removing the grass snakes was a slippery task but these beautiful creatures are crucial to local wildlife.
“A successful reptile translocation exercise was completed in that we safely removed approximately several hundred individuals, all now relocated to suitable receptor sites in the local area.
“Reptiles across the UK are declining and protected, so this exercise has been of great value in terms of conservation. Many other measures have been recommended to protect species such as eels and groups such as foraging and commuting bats.”
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Work to decontaminate the 17 acres of land at the site will be completed by the end of March.
Worthing Borough Council is looking to develop flexible unit spaces for a range of uses and for various business demands.
The ecology team undertook various baseline surveys to inform recommendations for the construction and design of the remediation and development of the site, in line with wildlife legislation and planning policy.
These included baseline habitat surveys and further surveys for bats, badger, hazel dormouse, water vole, reptiles, great crested newt, fish and invertebrates.
The most valuable habitats have been retained at the site, including the Teville Stream to the west and south, and the willow and poplar tree belts to the east and north, and these will be managed and protected.
Worthing Borough Council said it is also securing a site to compensate for any wildlife that is lost, in the hope it will achieve a net gain for biodiversity based on the latest Natural England assessment methods.
This assessment will be submitted in support of the planning application at the site.
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