That is because there is already a family in residence who need to be rehoused – a sett of badgers.

Rhyl-based Anwyl Construction will soon be starting work on a purpose-built residence for them – before they can begin the estate near South Stack.

Anwyl technical director Andy Davies (pictured) is overseeing the project on the 11-acre site just off South Stack Road, near Holyhead.

He said: "We have a mixture of housing planned for this development but we didn't expect that the first residents we had to house would be a family of badgers.

"There are procedures in place to do this though and actually there are guidelines on constructing a badger sett.

"Generally you would have a central room with passageways radiating off it to the exits.

"When the time comes to move the badgers we gradually stop up the entrances to the old sett and that encourages the badgers to move to their new home."

Ecologist David Hackett, of Liverpool-based Cass Associates, carried out an in-depth inspection of the area.
He said: "There aren't many badgers around South Stack because they usually like deeper soil.

"There the layer of soil above the rock is very thin but we have found a suitable alternative nearby which will mean minimal disruption for the badgers.

"The sett there is very active and is increasing in size every year."
The new home for the badger family is actually just a matter of yards away and is on a field criss-crossed with the tracks beaten by them on their nocturnal forages.

David added: "They will take young birds and other small animals but their main diet is earthworms and they generally like areas of short grass, well-grazed or mown land."

As part of their contingency planning for the development Anwyls are also making provision for the discovery of another protected species, the great crested newt.

Countryside Council for Wales' species and biodiversity officer Matthew Ellis said: "Anwyl Construction have a keen understanding of environmental issues and are clearly acting responsibly in respect of protected species here and elsewhere."