As the industry adapts to the Homes for Nature initiative, Keepmoat has been among the early pioneers in putting biodiversity at the heart of its developments. Keen to do more than simply comply with regulations, the housebuilder has collaborated with Manthorpe Building Products to create safe, long-lasting homes for wildlife alongside homes for people.
Keepmoat took the opportunity to trial Manthorpe’s innovative conservation solutions at its Gedling Old Colliery project in Nottingham, where 506 homes are being built. Manthorpe’s self-contained Swift Nesting Bricks and award-winning Bat Ridge Roosts were integrated into Phase 2 of the build.
Following successful trials and strong feedback from Keepmoat’s technical and sustainability teams, the products are now helping the business meet its Homes for Nature commitment and shape nature-rich places for future residents.
Paul Jackson, Keepmoat’s Supply Chain Director, praised the collaboration and described the Manthorpe Swift Nesting Brick as a “valued, innovation-engineered product” that offers both quality and purpose.
Supporting swifts and bats in new neighbourhoods
Keepmoat needed a solution that would fit neatly into its existing construction processes, maintain the look and feel of the homes, and deliver genuine self-contained habitats for wildlife, particularly swifts and bats. Research from the British Trust for Ornithology shows that numbers of swifts, swallows, and house martins have fallen sharply in the past 30 years across the UK.
After sharing product samples with Keepmoat’s teams and ecologists, Manthorpe demonstrated how its specialist nesting bricks and bat roosts could be built in at the appropriate stage of construction, without altering design lines or requiring retrofitted boxes later in the programme. Everything is designed to be as straightforward and robust as possible for the housebuilder to maintain momentum on their housebuilding efforts. The roosts and bricks provide a secure and enclosed place for bats to roost that prevents the protected species from entering wall cavities or roof spaces.
The Gedling trial offered an ideal testbed for Keepmoat to test Manthorpe’s innovations. Swift bricks and bat roosts were placed across different house types to understand building and ecological outcomes. The Bat Ridge Roost proved particularly popular with the Keepmoat team as it is quick and easy to install, inexpensive and doesn’t disrupt the build sequencing. The collaboration with the Bat Conservation Trust means that the roost’s insulation surrounding the nesting chamber keeps the internal temperature stable throughout the year.
Designed for biodiversity and building efficiency
Manthorpe’s products are manufactured in the UK and engineered to perform for the lifetime of the home, without maintenance or homeowner intervention. The swift bricks feature an internally designed nest chamber shaped specifically for swifts and other small species, with careful ventilation to prevent moisture build-up. The bat roosts provide a secure, self-contained place for bats to roost without any risk of access to roof spaces or cavities.
Importantly, both products have been created with experts, including the Bat Conservation Trust, RSPB, and Action for Swifts, to ensure they reflect what wildlife genuinely needs, rather than what looks right aesthetically. This was a key reassurance for Keepmoat, which wanted confidence that the integration of these products would make a lasting ecological difference.
A step forward for swifts, house martins and bats in new housing developments
The learning from the Gedling installation has already begun shaping future Keepmoat schemes, and the business has stated that the Manthorpe swift nesting brick and bat ridge roost will play an important role in helping it meet its Homes for Nature duties through the Future Homes Hub.
For new residents, these small features represent a quiet but meaningful part of their neighbourhood’s identity. They are a reminder that nature has a home in housing developments, too. For Keepmoat and Manthorpe, the collaboration shows what is possible when housebuilders, manufacturers, and ecologists work together and build biodiversity into the blueprint of a housing development.
“Working with Manthorpe on our biodiversity commitments has given us real confidence in delivering meaningful impact at our developments. Their support and technical reassurance throughout the process have been invaluable.
Manthorpe’s Swift Nesting Bricks and Bat Ridge Roosts are thoughtful, easy to integrate, and backed by real expertise. As an industry, we have a responsibility to build new homes in a way that strengthens nature, and this partnership is helping us do exactly that.”
Keepmoat and Manthorpe are continuing their work together, and the supply and installation of wildlife-supporting products, to ensure the Homes for Nature commitment is met, and biodiversity is nurtured at each and every one of its sites.
To find out more about adding Manthorpe’s Swift Nesting Bricks and Bat Ridge Roosts to your next new build development and housebuilding sustainability strategy, contact us.
