Cornwall Housebuilder Signs Up to Wildlife-Friendly Homebuilding Scheme

A new wildlife-friendly approach to housing development is coming to Cornwall, as Barratt David Wilson Homes has signed up to the Homes for Nature commitment. This initiative, which involves 18 other housebuilders, aims to enhance the natural environment within new housing developments by incorporating features that support local wildlife.

Commitment to Wildlife in New Homes

Barratt David Wilson Homes, known for its developments across Cornwall, will integrate a bird-nesting brick or box into every new home it builds under the scheme. Additionally, “hedgehog highways” will be established as standard in all new developments from September 2024. These features are designed to provide essential habitats for birds, such as swifts, and safe passages for hedgehogs, helping to protect these species in urban areas.

Nicki Reid, Sales Director for Barratt David Wilson Homes Exeter, commented on the commitment: “Nature underpins our economy, provides the food, clean air and water we all need and yet everywhere it is under intense threat. Through Homes for Nature, we are making a small change, but that small change could create a significant benefit for nature and for the people who come to live in the communities we develop.”

Creating Habitats in Urban Areas

The Homes for Nature commitment goes beyond just birds and hedgehogs. Homebuilders are encouraged to include other wildlife-supporting features such as bat roosts, insect bricks, and hibernacula. The initiative also promotes nature-led sustainable urban drainage systems and pollinator-friendly landscaping, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to biodiversity in new housing projects.

The scheme has been developed by the On Site Nature Measures Working Group, convened by the Future Homes Hub. This group works in collaboration with organisations like the RSPB, Action for Swifts, and Hedgehog Street to provide guidance on implementing these nature-friendly measures.

Ed Lockhart, Chief Executive of the Future Homes Hub, highlighted the significance of this commitment: “Homes for Nature is a fantastic opportunity to create many more homes for wildlife, bring people closer to nature and at the same time provide a helping hand to some much-loved and critically endangered species.”

Monitoring Progress and Impact

The Homes for Nature scheme is set to begin affecting new planning applications from September 2024 and will continue until at least 2030. Progress will be tracked through annual reporting to assess the impact and explore further measures that could benefit other wildlife species.

Becky Ingham, Chief Executive of Action for Swifts, expressed the importance of this approach, especially for species that have suffered from modern construction practices. “In recent years the loss of nesting sites has had a major detrimental effect on this Red-Listed species. It’s heartening to now see the commitment from so many major developers towards installing integral bricks, which will last the lifetime of the building and provide our swifts and other cavity nesting birds with long-term habitat.”

Local Impact in Cornwall

Barratt David Wilson Homes is already active in Cornwall, with developments at Treledan in Saltash and the upcoming Pen Bethan in Falmouth. Through its participation in the Homes for Nature scheme, the company is not only addressing the region’s housing needs but also ensuring these developments contribute positively to the local environment.

This commitment is part of the wider industry sustainability roadmap, ‘Future Homes, One Plan’, which outlines how the homebuilding sector plans to construct affordable, high-quality, and sustainable homes. While the current commitment applies to low-rise houses, discussions are ongoing to extend this nature-positive approach to apartments and high-rise buildings in the future.

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are currently building much-needed new homes for Cornwall at Treledan in Saltash and Pen Bethan, coming soon in Falmouth. Barratt Homes offers a range of schemes to support you with your new home journey, including the Key Worker Deposit Contribution Scheme and Part Exchange Guarantee.

Supporting nature is a key part of the homebuilding sector’s overall sustainability roadmap, ‘Future Homes, One Plan’, which sets out the industry’s pathway to building a generation of high quality, affordable and sustainable homes and communities.