CAMPAIGNERS are hoping rare wildlife may save the day in the fight to stop a housing development near their homes.

Planning permission has already been granted by Redditch Council to Redditch Co-operative Homes to build 30 houses on green land at the top of Rough Hill Drive.

But residents in Towbury Close, who say they will be severely overlooked, are banking on the fact rare bats and slowworms could scupper the project.

Graham Badger, of Towbury Close Action Group, said a wildlife survey was carried out last year but the findings were rejected in favour of a more detailed survey which has just been completed.

"From this we understand there were many sightings and rare bat species were seen together with evidence of their roosts. Numerous slowworms were also found.

"All this means the applicant now has to put forward proposals to satisfy strict conditions in order to obtain a licence to disturb the habitat of the bats and to locate and remove the slowworms to a safe place.

"It will be interesting to see if they are successful in obtaining this licence when you consider only a few trees and hedgerows will survive."

Redditch Co-operative Homes manager Carl Taylor said he had not yet seen the results of the wildlife survey.

He added: "If there is wildlife then we have to seek permission from English Nature to make sure no harm comes to it.

"We will speak to them to make sure we are doing things properly as a responsible organisation."