A PAIR of peregrine falcons nesting in a disused building at the former Lafarge Cement Works will be protected even if buildings are demolished, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Owners of the site, Tarmac, recently submitted a Prior Notification to Wiltshire Council to have the area demolished so that it could be used for other purposes.

Phil Sheldrake, a conservation officer from the RSPB, said: “We’ve worked with Tarmac nationally and we’re working with them on this to ensure that the birds are not dramatically affected by any development work at the site.

“They don’t have a nest in the chimney but they are nesting in another building on the site for the first time this year and have been roosting on the chimney.

“We have to make sure that if the buildings are demolished we can provide an alternative for them, such as a nest box which could be placed close to the site until a new building is built.”

The site, which was mothballed in 2009, includes two kilns and an adjoining chalk pit as well as the iconic 122-metre chimney.

Peregrine falcons are strictly protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act after their numbers went into steep decline in the 1980s.

A spokesperson for Tarmac, said: “Tarmac is aware that peregrine falcons are present at the company's Westbury site. To the best of our knowledge the birds are not nesting in the site's chimney.

“As a responsible company, Tarmac is working very closely with the RSPB and our appointed ecologist to ensure that all appropriate measures are being taken to look after the peregrine falcons ensuring that any nesting opportunities are at the very least maintained at the Westbury site.”