Can we build for wildlife?

It was calculated recently that the UK's swifts need 11,000 new nest places created for them every year just to survive at their present population level, because changes to the existing building stock eliminate their old nest places.

A petition asks the government to make new housing more wildlife friendly by introducing a conservation points system for new builds.

Every new build, whether homes or commercial, would have to gain a certain level of points before the building is signed off, eg 2 points for a hedgehog hole, 2 points for a bird box, points for native planting etc.

This would massively help to reduce the decline in many species highlighted by the 'State of Nature' report published 3 years ago which reported that 60% of UK species were in decline. It would make a big difference in helping species that now rely on the urban environment such as the hedgehog, swift and house martin. The cost of the build would be far outweighed by the benefits to wildlife and humans.

Click this link to sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/129733/sponsors/NnbFVF8y29FvWmj5bD