A campaign to make swift bird boxes mandatory in all new housing in England, in an effort to halt the bird’s rapid population decline, has been considered in the House of Lords and could become law.
Earlier this week the House of Lords considered an amendment to the Government’s Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, which would make it a legal requirement for all new housing developments in England to include swift bricks, providing a home and nesting site for the birds.
Swift bricks, a type of bird box, are discreet brick-faced boxes designed to be an ideal home for birds. They integrate seamlessly with the brick facade of the building and can be fitted during build or retrospectively to existing buildings.
Britain’s population of migratory swifts has rapidly declined in recent years, dropping by 60% between 1995 and 2020. The species is listed on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red List, marking it as the highest level of concern.
The amendment follows a petition launched by writer Hannah Bourne-Taylor, which attracted over 100,000 signatures. The topic was debated in Parliament in 2022, following which the Government responded that such decisions should be left to local authorities: “We welcome actions by developers to provide “swift bricks”, however Government considers this a matter for local authorities depending upon the specific circumstances of each site.”
Brighton and Hove made headlines when it made bird boxes a requirement for new developments in the city, but currently only five out of 455 planning authorities in England ask that house builders install bird bricks in new homes. The Government’s decision to leave this matter to local authorities has not moved the dial.
Not wanting to give up, Conservative peer Zac Goldsmith tabled an amendment to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill seeking another route to make the installation of swift boxes compulsory in housing developments. It has gained cross-party support.
Speaking in the House of Lords on 6th September, Lord Goldsmith said, “This simple proposal to include swift bricks in new builds is key. Modern new-build homes are simply not designed to accommodate nature. Swifts in particular rely completely on cavities. Without those, there are no safe or permanent nesting sites for them in Britain.”
He went on to champion the swift brick as a “zero-maintenance solution” which has seen great success in trials on Duchy estates, seeing a 96% occupancy rate.
Following the House of Lords debate, Amendment 221A concerning swift bricks was ‘not moved’. The amendment remains in the text, and the final sitting of the Report Stage of the Bill is scheduled for 13th September. If the Amendment remains, it will proceed to the Third Reading in the House of Commons.
“Including eco-habitats, such as bird boxes, can help developers create space for biodiversity within the built environment,” says Maisie Mckenzie, Biodiversity Manager at Wienerberger UK. “As a business that’s striving to become net-zero and nature positive, we support the amendment to the Bill and believe that it complements biodiversity net gain and housebuilders’ ongoing efforts to provide habitats for wildlife.
“As always, there’s no one solution to halting population decline and promoting biodiversity. Any efforts to protect our native species must be holistic. Swift bricks will help give birds a nesting place, but we also must think about protecting habitats that support the insects they eat, preserving the water bodies they drink from, and many other factors that impact wildlife populations.
“We're hopeful that this amendment will receive Royal Ascent as part of the Bill, as a vital step in the right direction to secure this species. In addition to swift bricks, house builders can also look at including eco-habitats for other important and endangered species, by using solutions such as bat boxes and roof tiles, bee bricks, and hedgehog boxes.”
