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The council for a county which recently became the first in the UK to be declared "plastic free" has defended the installation of controversial netting on the site of a planned super school.

Construction is set to start on the multi-million-pound primary school in Llangefni in Anglesey, which will replace Ysgol Bodffordd and Ysgol Corn Hir as part of a school reorganisation project.

But the presence of the plastic nets on hedgerows around the site has caused concern for the RSPB, who fear that birds and other animals could become trapped in them.

Such nets have become a common sight at developments across the UK over recent months, as nesting birds found at a construction site can mean work has to be delayed until the end of their natural season.

The nets are designed to deter birds from nesting and therefore speed up the process.

The installation of the nets at the school site comes a month after Anglesey was awarded "plastic free" community status by conservation group Surfers Against Sewage in a move unanimously backed by the county council.

(Image: Arwyn Roberts)

Wildlife experts have called for stricter controls on the nets, amid growing public concern about their use.

The council said that, while it backs efforts to make Anglesey plastic-free, it "will not happen overnight".

They also said their contractors had handled the matter "as sensitively as possible".

A spokesperson for the RSPB said: "We cannot keep trying to squeeze nature into smaller and smaller spaces or demand that wildlife fits in with our plans.

"We have all seen the problems netting can cause by trapping birds or denying them nesting sites.

“Netting must be used sparingly and only if there is absolutely no alternative, and with regular monitoring to ensure that our wildlife is not getting trapped, injured or worse.

"Trees and hedgerows are also vital in supporting the wildlife, so if absolutely necessary for work, their removal should be completed outside of nesting season.

“We are also joining calls to ask governments to review the current law governing this area and think creatively about what could be done to solve a problem that is upsetting so many people and pushing nature away from our lives.”

A council spokesperson said: “Our contractor has handled this matter as sensitively as possible.

"This netting was erect before the nesting season to prevent birds from nesting there.

"This will ensure that no birds are displaced should the hedge be removed.

“We are a council that aspires to see our island become plastic-free. We are working on several fronts to achieve this, but this will not happen overnight.”