UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – New housing developments will be required to install special bird bricks to protect endangered species, despite Rachel Reeves’s pledge to cut regulations.
Labour will demand that new construction use eco-friendly elements like quick bricks and hollow nesting boxes that slot into walls as part of a change to England’s planning regulations.
Businesses should be free to “focus on getting things built and stop worrying about the bats and the newts,” according to the Chancellor, who has blasted “green tape” for impeding the economy.
She cited the £100 million spent on a “bat tunnel” as part of HS2 in her earlier this year complaint that “absolutely insane” environmental regulations had turned into a “barrier” to investment.
However, the government has since said that it will implement regulations for new construction that are intended to save endangered species.
The proposed revision of England’s national planning policy framework (NPPF), dubbed the “biggest rewrite” of the planning code in ten years, includes these elements.
By the conclusion of this Parliament, Labour hopes to have built 1.5 million new homes, and the measures will help achieve that goal.
Among the “key revisions” listed on Tuesday was the statement:
“New builds to include nature-friendly features, such as installing swift bricks to support wildlife – adding little to building costs whilst delivering a win-win for nature and housebuilding.”
Swifts make their nests in building nooks and crannies. They were once frequently seen in English skies, but their numbers are currently dropping, putting them on the UK’s red list of birds.
A declining population is believed to be caused in part by a lack of nesting locations and decreased food sources due to fewer insects being accessible for consumption.
It is acknowledged that the bricks will be regarded as a prerequisite for new construction, and developers are obliged to incorporate them unless there are strong technical justifications that prohibit their usage or render them useless.
James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, said:
“This Labour Government’s record on housebuilding is abysmal. They delivered fewer homes in their first year in office than we delivered during a global pandemic.
Now they are planning to bulldoze through local democracy and concrete over the green belt in an attempt to make up the numbers. What’s the point of swift bricks if our natural environment is being destroyed?
Only the Conservatives will ensure we get the right homes in the right places, prioritise brownfield land, and unfreeze the housing market by abolishing stamp duty on the family home.”
Although the NPPF is not legally obligatory, authorities must attempt to adhere to the guidelines when approving new developments.
Earlier this year, Labour dissident Barry Gardiner tried to amend the law to require all new homes to have a single swift brick.
However, the Government blocked the Planning Bill amendment and declined to back a later attempt to pass the modification in the Lords.
Additionally, the NPPF facilitates construction around major rail stations within the green belt; around two thirds of England’s stations are anticipated to be covered by the framework.
According to the government, after the consultation is over, the revisions will essentially supersede contradictory rules “from day one” and release up to 1.8 million properties in the upcoming decades.
Ms Reeves said:
“For too long, our economy has been held back by a housing system that slows growth, frustrates business and prices the next generation out of a secure home.
These reforms back the builders, not the blockers, unlock investment and make it easier to build the 1.5 million new homes across every region – rebuilding the foundations of our economy and making affordable homes a reality for working people once again.”
Steve Reed, the Housing Secretary, said:
“Right now, we see a planning system that still isn’t working well enough. A system saying ‘no’ more often than it says ‘yes’ and that favours obstructing instead of building.
It has real-world consequences for those aspiring to own a home of their own and those hoping to escape so-called temporary accommodation – we owe it to the people of this country to do everything within our power to build the homes they deserve.
We’ve already laid the groundwork to get Britain building, but our planning overhaul was only the first step to fix the housing crisis we face. Today I’m going further than ever before to hit 1.5 million homes and place the key to home ownership into the hands of thousands more hard-working people and families.”
How would mandatory swift bricks affect housebuilding costs?
Obligatory swift bricks add negligible costs to housebuilding, generally £30- £100 per home depending on unit size and volume demanded (generally 1- 2 per qualifying structure over 5m altitudinous). This equates to under 0.003% of average construction budgets around £300,000, with bulk product further reducing unit prices via husbandry of scale.
Swift bricks integrate seamlessly into walls without redundant labor, conservation, or design changes, akin to standard features like reflections. Inventors frequently cite them as a” BNG win” for biodiversity net gain compliance, negating any minor expenditure through planning edge rather than inflating overall viability.
Volume housebuilders via Homes for Nature formerly commit freely to units yearly, viewing costs as trivial compared to kitchens or sanitary ware. Critics of authorizations argue accretive regulations burden small spots, but substantiation shows no material impact on delivery rates where locally executed.