Housebuilders commit to nature-based measures

Housebuilders have signed up to Homes for Nature, an industry-led initiative to support wildlife on their new developments.

The scheme, which the Future Homes Hub has helped develop, has seen 20 housebuilders large and small commit to installing a bird-nesting brick or box for every home built as well as creating hedgehog highways as standard.

These wildlife additions apply to each new scheme taken through planning from September 2024, for each housebuilder participating in the initiative.

The Future Homes Hub, established to co-ordinate the industry’s response to the environmental agenda, convened the industry-led On Site Nature Measures Working Group which has created Homes for Nature.

Housebuilders including Barratt, Bellway, Taylor Wimpey, Vistry, Hopkins Homes and Strata Homes are some of the companies making the voluntary commitment.

The 20 housebuilders build more than 90,000 homes a year combined - the Future Homes Hub said the initiative represented a “major step” towards providing the minimum of 300,000 nesting bricks and boxes reportedly needed to support swift populations and “many more” bird species across the country.

Those committing to the initiative are also encouraged to incorporate additional wildlife friendly features like bat roosts, insect bricks and hibernacula.

And away from …