A new housing development on the edge of Frome has received a gold award for its wildlife-friendly gardens.

Francis Fields was recognised by the RSPB for its show complex gardens, with features incorporated by David Wilson Redrow South West to support and enrich local wildlife.

Features include bird and bat boxes, hedgehog highways, bee boxes, wildflower turf, and native hedgerows - part of a wider commitment to sustainable housebuilding.

Louise Ware, sales director at David Wilson Redrow South West, said: "We’ve enjoyed a unique partnership with the RSPB since 2014 and we’re pleased to have extended our partnership for a further five years.

"We’re determined to be the leading national sustainable housebuilder, and we’re committed to creating places where nature can thrive.

"We want to continue to ensure we’re doing that bit extra to retain and build upon natural habitats, and the RSPB gold award for Francis Fields assures new and existing buyers of our ongoing commitment to enhance biodiversity across all our developments."

The gardens also include water butts, compost bins, dead wood features, and designated feeding and watering stations for birds.

Additional elements such as wildflower turf and scented gardens further support pollinators and other wildlife.

As summer approaches, the RSPB has also shared advice for homeowners on helping birds beat the heat.

The charity recommends providing fresh water daily in bird baths or shallow dishes, and scrubbing them weekly to prevent algae and disease.

Gardeners are encouraged to leave hedges and dense vegetation untouched to provide shade and avoid disturbing nesting sites during the hottest months.

The RSPB also suggests offering high-moisture foods, like soaked sultanas or fruit, and placing bird food out at dawn or dusk when birds are most active.

Bird baths should be located in shaded areas and kept easily accessible for species such as robins and blackbirds, which enjoy bathing to cool off.

The charity advises people to keep cats indoors during early mornings and evenings to give birds space to forage undisturbed.

It also recommends avoiding pesticides and slug pellets, which are harmful to birds and their insect food sources.

Francis Fields at The Mount includes 118 two, three, and four-bedroom homes on the southern edge of Frome, just two kilometres from the town centre.