There’s good news from Shirebrook, where local Swift volunteers and Bolsover District Council are working together to help protect nesting sites and create new homes for Swifts.
The news comes shortly after changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which now gives greater support to providing nesting spaces for Swifts in new developments.
Chele Marriott, founder of Shirebrook Swifts, recently met with councillors and council officers to talk about declining Swift numbers and the risk of nests being lost during building repairs and renovations.
Chele went into the meeting unsure what response she would get, but came away encouraged by the work already taking place.
Bolsover District Council’s housing repairs and maintenance team has produced guidance for staff to help them recognise where and how Swifts nest.
New homes at Alder Close in Shirebrook also include bird boxes built into the buildings, and the council has said it will work with developers to provide Swift nesting spaces at its planned housing development at Mill Lane in Bolsover.
Councillor Jane Yates, who joined a Shirebrook Swifts walk earlier this year, has also donated £250 to support the group.
Chele said:
“I was overwhelmed to be told about the positive steps the council was already taking – I was met with a group of people who want to make a difference to the smallest of lives.”
The recent changes to the NPPF are a positive step. New developments in England should now include features that support threatened species such as Swifts, including integrated nest boxes, often known as Swift bricks, unless there are strong technical reasons why they cannot be included.
But in Derbyshire, this work did not start with the new national policy.
There are already many approved developments across the county with Swift bricks included in their designs. That reflects years of work by local Swift groups and volunteers, alongside developers and planning officers who have been willing to take a practical, common-sense approach.
The new NPPF gives stronger national backing to something that is already happening in many places locally, and should help make Swift bricks a more normal part of new development.
It is also important to protect the nests Swifts already use. Swifts often return to the same buildings year after year, so repair and renovation work can cause problems if nest entrances are accidentally blocked.
The work in Shirebrook is a good example of both sides of the picture: protecting existing nest sites while also providing new ones.
Swifts have declined sharply in the UK in recent decades, and helping them recover will need action from councils, developers, homeowners and local communities.
It’s encouraging to see Shirebrook Swifts and Bolsover District Council working together, and another example of how local people, planners and developers can make a practical difference for Swifts in Derbyshire.
Some content in this blog has been adapted from a Bolsover District Council press release that can be found here.