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Kang. She says that the development has been shaped by extensive consultation with local residents, ensuring it harmoniously integrates with the existing community, and creating spaces that include a wildlife pond, extensive landscaping and wildlife conservation measures. The housebuilder intends rolling out similar measures to future developments. She says, “As a member of The Future Homes Hub, Hayfield will continue to support this initiative to protect nature and inform our buyers of the importance of such an initiative.” Ridgepoint Homes is also making strides to protect wildlife, explains Sales and Marketing Director Elaine Stratford. “In design terms now, ecology and even the smallest existing inhabitants are given extensive consideration and incorporated into the plans for the overall location and specific parts of that, such as a lake, open space areas and woodland.” The housebuilder’s design strategy at Herons Lake incorporates water planting to encourage pollinators such as bees, dragonflies and hover flies, and adjacent woodland has been given detailed consideration to ensure the wellbeing of existing inhabitants.“From insects to hedgehogs, bats and birds, their habitat forms an important part of the concept. Dead standing wood piles, logs, hibernacula, ornamental ponds and special warm white street lighting, which I am reliably advised helps nesting birds and bats, all have been considered here.” The housebuilder also gives talks to local school children on the importance of conservation work while it creates housing for families just like theirs. “Taking an interest at a young age in this important ecological strategy, we hope will help future generations to appreciate its essential value to their wellbeing of their future.” Dorchester Living has incorporated bat and bird boxes and tree planting throughout its Heyford Park development. CEO Paul Silver says, “While features like bat boxes may not be a deal-breaker for buyers, we’ve found that improving green frontages, open spaces, and wildflower areas make a real impact on improving the biodiversity in the local community.” Barratt West London’s Hendon Waterside has The Welsh Harp Reservoir and a local nature reserve on its doorstep making it important that the development’s design reflected this, explains Sales and Marketing Director, Joseph Antoniazzi. “Not only does the design at Hendon Waterside encourage healthier lifestyles, but it also encourages wildlife to flourish with nature friendly features including the installation of over 200 bat and bird boxes, biodiverse green roofs extending to 850 square metres and planting over 450 new trees.”
such as ponds or woodlands delivered at the point of construction – and prioritising avoiding harm to nature before resorting to mitigation. They argue that the bill should require definite, measurable and significant benefits to nature, rather than just probable improvements. Beccy Speight, CE of the RSPB, said, “We were promised legislation that would deliver a win-win for nature and economic growth, but by stripping out essential protections for nature this bill offers neither.” Last year’s report Lost Nature from campaigning organisation Wild Justice, written by researchers at the University of Sheffield, revealed that even before the bill some developers were not keeping to legally-binding promises to help wildlife. A survey of nearly 6,000 houses across 42 developments found that only half of promises to mitigate harm to nature had been kept. Many ecological enhancements had not materialised, with 83% of hedgehog highways, 100% of bug boxes, and 75% of both bat and bird boxes found to be missing. The report concluded that only 53% of the ecological features mentioned in planning conditions had been installed. HOUSEBUILDERS DOING THEIR BIT FOR NATURE But some housebuilders are committed to helping wildlife, and voluntarily. Last year’s “Homes for Nature” initiative, developed by The Future Homes Hub, saw 20 major housebuilders sign up to the voluntary commitment to install a bird-nesting brick or box for every new home built, as well as hedgehog highways created as standard on every new low-rise development taken through planning from September 2024. Housebuilders including Barratt, Persimmon, Vistry, Taylor Wimpey and Redrow are taking part in a scheme which could be a major step towards providing at least 300,000 nesting bricks and boxes to support swift populations plus other bird species across the UK. Housebuilders are also encouraged to incorporate extra features such as bat roosts, insect bricks and hibernacula, shelters where reptiles and amphibians, like toads, lizards, and snakes, seek refuge during winter months to avoid harsh weather and food shortages. Hayfield Homes’ first development to feature the Homes for Nature scheme, Hayfield Heights in Gloucestershire, includes measures to support wildlife and enhance the local ecosystem, such as integrated bat boxes, bird bricks, hedgehog highways and other ecological enhancements. The site is set to deliver a biodiversity net gain of over 26%, far exceeding national planning requirements of 10%, explains Marketing Director Ranjit
EXPERT COMMENT
Despite engaging in good faith with the UK Government for many months, it’s now clear that the bill in its current form will rip the heart out of environmental protections and risks sending nature further into freefall. The evidence clearly shows nature isn’t a blocker to growth. The Government has identified the wrong obstacle to the problem it’s trying to overcome, and that has led it to the wrong solutions.
Beccy Speight, CE, RSPB
EXPERT COMMENT
We are working with the RSPB to deliver a showcase development that supports nature and housing. We recognise the positive impact on both our residents and wildlife of providing habitats for a wide range of insects and birds. The priorities for buyers are price and location, however, Gen Z is more concerned about the environmental impact of their lifestyle, and they are asking questions about the long-term sustainability of the home.
Marc Woolfe, Sales & Marketing Director, Barratt David Wilson North Thames
EXPERT COMMENT
From swift bricks and hedgehog highways, to wildflower meadows and even a dormouse bridge at our new Vyne Park development in Basingstoke, Croudace is committed to supporting nature as demonstrated by signing up to the Homes for Nature Commitment. There is an expectation from buyers that developers must consider nature. While the Infrastructure Bill has received criticism, it is the right decision for the Government to pull levers that will accelerate housebuilding.
Adrian Watts, CEO, Croudace Homes
First Time Buyer August/September 2025 129
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