FEATHERS have been ruffled at West Somerset Council after the authority's plans for a new office complex suffered a serious setback, which could see some aspects of the build delayed until September at the earliest. An RSPCA inspector has advised contractors to abandon plans to demolish the Red Cross Hut on Williton's Killick Way car park after discovering swallows and thrushes had already built nests and laid eggs within the building. Instead of setting down foundations for the multi- million pound development, contractors Mansell have been told they can only carry out minor groundworks around the hut until the eggs have hatched and the young birds have fledged. The council has been warned that could mean the hut - which lies directly within the footprint of the proposed new offices - remains in situ until mid August or early September. The project is already behind schedule and the nesting birds look set to delay things by at least a further three months. As revealed in the Free Press last week, an RSPCA inspector was called in to investigate after villagers discovered the hut was earmarked for demolition on Monday. They believed house sparrows had already set up home in the building and were determined to protect their feathered friends. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is a criminal offence to disturb or damage any nesting birds, their nests, eggs or fledglings. An RSPCA spokesman told the Free Press that, as different species of birds nested at different times, it was highly likely that as one brood fledged another would take its place as several species were using the hut. She said it was also vital the nesting birds were not disturbed by any building work which might be carried out elsewhere within the site. She confirmed the Red Cross Hut was the only building which was directly affected but said a close eye would need to be kept on the trees which were also due to be felled as part of the office development. Stacey Beaumont, the council's media and public relations officer, said an expert was being drafted in to carry out an in-depth survey of the site. Previously, she said the council had carried out an ecological study and checks which "did not reveal the presence of nesting birds". She did not give any indication as to how much the latest setback was likely to impact on the overall development timetable. Ms Beaumont said: "West Somerset Council and the contractors are seeking further expert advice and will work with the RSPCA and abide by the relevant laws. "There will obviously be an alteration to the building programme while the birds' nests are present, but the timescale is not yet known." The offices will eventually be built in a 'T' shape, with the top of the 'T' running parallel with Killick Way and overlooking a proposed car parking area between the library and SureStart centre. The two-storey building will provide both office space and a new council chamber. A business case for the development said the new offices would enable the council to provide better service to customers, reduce building running costs, improve staff facilities and staff recruitment, retention and morale. It also claimed it would lead to an enhanced reputation for the authority. The report said the current buildings were "positively hindering" modern working methods, while the existing reception area was deemed to be "customer unfriendly". It said: "The state of the premises has an undoubted impact on how others perceive us. "A council which operates in unkempt and unsuitable buildings in poor conditions sends out a clear and negative message to those who observe, regulate and deal with us."