The UK's Swifts are in serious trouble.
It is estimated that their population has deceased by 57% between 1995 and 2017, primarily due to the application of pesticides and habitat destruction which has affected their insect food supply. The modernisation of many buildings has also resulted in the loss of roof nesting sites. More information can be found at Swift Conservation.
After seeing the inspirational Hannah-Bourne Taylor speak recently at the Global BirdFair, I was motivated to write to Matthew Pennycook MP, the new Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government following the election of a Labour Government.
This is what I wrote in my e-mail to him ....
"Dear Matthew
Firstly, congratulations on retaining your seat at the General Election and your appointment as Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Your brief is a particular interest and passion of mine having spent my entire professional career in the field of housing management, housing policy/strategy and the delivery of affordable housing. I sincerely hope that the very welcome election of a Labour Government will at last see significant progress being made in the building of much needed affordable housing.
However, the main reason for me being prompted to contact you is in respect of my other interest and passion, namely the environment and nature.
In my view, the last Government did very little to address the biodiversity crisis (let alone the climate emergency) and, as you may be aware, the UK is now one of the most nature depleted countries on the planet with so many of our wildlife species suffering huge population losses and potentially extinction.
The Swift is one of many bird species that is showing an alarming steep decline in its summering and breeding population in the UK. In just 25 years, more than 50% of our Swifts have vanished and the loss of nest sites in the roofs of residential and other buildings appears to be at least partly responsible for this. This bird’s UK Conservation status is now designated as “Red”.
In just the last few years, Swifts have disappeared from the skies over my neighbourhood in Laindon, Essex and flocks of up to 50 birds wheeling around St. Nicholas Church are now just a memory.
There is a simple solution to help Swifts …. an addition to Building Regulations to make “Swift bricks” (to provide nesting sites) a mandatory requirement for new-build housing.
Whilst I understand that the Netherlands implemented such a requirement recently, I also believe that less than 10 out of around 450 Local Planning Authorities in the UK have implemented “Swift brick” planning conditions.
The amazing Hannah-Bourne Taylor HANNAH BOURNE-TAYLOR(hannahbournetaylor.com) launched the Feather Speech campaign and her well-supported petition with well over 110.000 signatures resulted in a debate in Parliament where there was evident cross-party support.
However, as with so many issues related to the environment and nature, the previous Government did absolutely nothing.
The requirement to provide “Swift bricks” is an easy, quick and cheap means to provide nest sites for Swifts and halt their rapid decline towards extinction as a UK breeding species.
PLEASE demonstrate that the new Government genuinely cares about the environment and nature and take immediate steps to implement this essential initiative to help our Swifts by adding a clause to the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill announced in the King’s Speech this week.
Many thanks for reading my e-mail and for your anticipated commitment to finally making progress on “Swift bricks”.
Kind
regards
Richard"
Please contact Matthew Pennycook and help the campaign to save our Swifts!
https://www.birdguides.com/articles/hannah-bourne-taylor-swift-action
Saving the Swifts | RSPB (youtube.com)
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