Tarmac is committing to take swift action at Birchall Garden Suburb by offering a condition on any grant of outline planning permission, which would see at least one swift brick or box installed for every home built at the site.
Swifts have been in decline across England over recent years as nesting sites and breeding sites have come under pressure. Tarmac is following RSPB advice and is seeking to reverse the decline in Hertfordshire by pledging to install circa 2,650 swift bricks or boxes across Birchall Garden Suburb – one for each home – enforced by a condition on any grant of outline planning permission. The bricks or boxes could be installed high in the eaves of the many family homes planned across the site, potentially with clusters of boxes or bricks on homes closest to open areas to support swift movements.
Swifts play an integral role in local ecosystems, eating invertebrates such as mosquitos, midges and mayflies amongst other small flying insects. These insects often live in the grasslands, hedgerows and ponds or wet areas which will be prevalent across Birchall Garden Suburb, most notably in Birchall Common – a 76-hectare semi-wild parkland at the centre of the site.
Swift bricks and boxes are one of many measures Tarmac is committed to providing at Birchall Garden Suburb, with others including a network of wildlife routes, dedicated areas for wildlife (with restricted access for people and dogs) and the planting of 17,000 new trees to create new habitats.
If you have any queries about swifts, our suggested planning condition or the Birchall Garden Suburb proposals more generally, please get in touch with the team directly at: [email protected]