North Yorkshire homebuilders to install 10,000 Swift bricks

With swifts back in UK skies this summer, Barratt and David Wilson Homes, part of Barratt Redrow, has purchased for installation over 9,000 swift nesting bricks for its homes since 2016.

Having smashed through its previous goal of 7,000 swift bricks for its homes by 2025, the developers have announced a new uprated target of installing 10,000 swift bricks by the end of 2027.

Making new homes for swifts is vital with the UK’s population of swifts declining by two thirds since 1995 and with the birds now on the UK red list of conservation concern. Since 2016, the housebuilders have been working with the RSPB to install special swift nesting bricks that are part of external walls of new homes.

Swifts are a species of bird which migrate to the UK every year to raise their young and rely on spaces in buildings for nesting. The species has seen this serious decline in numbers, in part because modern building methods can reduce the swifts’ opportunities for nesting, and older buildings have been demolished over the years.

Soon, for every new home built, a swift brick will be installed, part of the new Homes for Nature initiative developed by the Future Homes Hub, with the country’s largest housebuilders all signed up. However, it takes quite a few years from conception to on-the-ground installation. Until then, Barratt Redrow has committed to hitting its new target of purchasing 10,000 swift bricks for installation into its homes by the end of 2027.

Barratt Redrow funded and worked with the RSPB and Manthorpe to design and manufacture a swift brick to integrate seamlessly into building walls, providing swifts with safe nesting sites.

Beyond swifts, these bricks have also been used by other cavity-nesting species such as House Sparrows, Starlings, and House Martins.

The housebuilder has also worked with the RSPB to monitor the bricks to see if they have worked and has found in some cases that they’ve dramatically increased urban biodiversity. The swift brick’s success serves as a model for sustainable development.

Every year the swift helps announce the arrival of summer as they complete a 7,000 mile migration to nest and raise their young in the UK. They are the fastest bird in level flight, reaching up to 69mph, and don’t touch the ground for the first three years of their lives. Even after their early years, they only land to breed, continuing to eat, mate, and even sleep in the air.

The RSPB has also partnered with the Swift Local Network and charity, Action for Swifts, to develop Swift Mapper – a web and app-based platform that allows anyone to record swift activity and nesting sites. Records submitted to Swift Mapper help people to learn more about this iconic species and to protect existing nest sites for the future. Swift Mapper is available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store or can be accessed online at https://www.swiftmapper.org.uk.

Jo Ainsley, Managing Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes North East, said: “Swifts are an iconic part of the British summer, but their numbers have fallen dramatically in recent decades. By incorporating swift bricks into our homes we can play a practical role in supporting their recovery while creating places where both people and nature can thrive.

“Reaching our previous target was a significant milestone but now we are aiming to achieve 10,000 by the end of 2027 – lots more homes for this amazing bird.”

For details about any developments in the area, visit the websites of Barratt Homes in North Yorkshire and David Wilson Homes in North Yorkshire.