By Aileen Robertson

A CAIRNEYHILL couple say plans to build houses in Main Street would affect protected species, including a “rare” moth.

Margaret and Hugh Lavery submitted one of 10 letters of objection received by the council following a proposal to build eight semi-detached homes in the street.

Residents have objected on the grounds that the development, at number 21, would result in loss of privacy and traffic congestion.

Mr and Mrs Lavery say the area is also an important site for bio-diversity. As well as roosting bats, they are concerned the housing development could jeopardise a colony of striking, red-spotted burnett moths seen during the summer months.

They wrote in their letter, “Bats have a roost in the rundown cottage attached to the main house on the site. This we believe should have come to the notice of the builder and have been reported to the council.

“Another visitor to our garden, for the first time this year, is a burnett moth, which has obviously been attracted to the uncultivated site. This moth was also seen by our neighbours. They said the site also contains owls, hedgehogs and squirrels.

“These are all species we should be trying to protect as the areas of uncultivated land around us are disappearing fast.”

Scottish Natural Heritage spokesperson Heather Kinnin said SNH had not been alerted to the development. She explained that of the six species of burnett moth found in Scotland, only one was endangered and it is found only at a coastal site in Argyll.

She said, “An expert would need to look at a specimen to determine what it actually was. I would advise them to get in touch with SNH.”

Keith Bland, a moth expert at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, said the moth spotted in Cairneyhill was very probably the common six-spot burnett moth.

He said, “It almost certainly would have been a six-spot. There are no records of a five-spot or any others in that area. The six-spot is found all the way round the Forth right the way up to Aberdeenshire.

“The appearance of the moth suggests that there is a nice, rich habitat but whether that provides grounds to contradict planning permission or not I don’t know.

“I would be surprised if it was anything other than a six-spot but the other possibility is the five-spot, which does seem to be moving its way up through the Borders and could even be in Fife by now.”

West area development committee will consider plans lodged by Nicholls Construction to build on the site on Wednesday.