Swift Bricks and Bat Ridge Roost: Future-Proofing for Nature in New Developments

As housing developments continue to expand across the UK, maintaining biodiversity within urban spaces becomes increasingly important. Recent research has highlighted a troubling trend: developers are often failing to deliver on the nature-friendly features they promised during planning processes.

A Wake-up Call for the Industry

A study led by the University of Sheffield and commissioned by the wildlife charity Wild Justice has uncovered a significant issue: developers often omit important wildlife features that were approved as part of planning consents. The research, which looked at 42 housing projects across nearly 6,000 homes, found that essential features such as bat and bird boxes, were missing in the majority of cases.

As concerns about the climate and biodiversity crises grow, it’s more important than ever for new housing projects to include features that protect local wildlife and contribute to environmental sustainability.

The Manthorpe Solution: Swift Bricks and Bat Ridge Roost

At Manthorpe, we’ve developed products that directly address the need for wildlife-friendly features in modern construction. Our Swift Brick and Bat Ridge Roost are designed to help developers meet current and future requirements, making it easier to integrate wildlife protection into new homes.

Swift Bricks provide an essential nesting space for the declining swift population. These birds have long used the crevices in older buildings to nest, but modern construction practices have made these spaces scarce. Our Dual Swift Brick, developed in partnership with major housebuilders and conservation experts, offers a safe, secure nesting area within the fabric of new homes.

• Swift Bricks blend seamlessly into the wall design, replacing two standard bricks and offering a spacious area for swifts to nest.
• The Dual Swift Brick is perfect for narrow cavity walls (down to 50mm) and is ideal for modern timber-frame constructions. Its ambidextrous design allows for flexibility in installation, ensuring it works on both sides of the wall.
• The product is easy to install, either during construction or retrospectively, ensuring that even older buildings can accommodate these vital birds.

These features make Swift Bricks a practical choice for developers who want to provide a cost-effective and easy way to incorporate ecological enhancements into new buildings.

Similarly, our Bat Ridge Roost is designed to protect small bat species, which are crucial for the health of local ecosystems. The Bat Ridge Roost is a self-contained unit that can be mounted unit which is easy to install on any ridge end , providing bats with a safe and insulated roost space, free from access to the interior of the property.

• It’s quick and easy to install at the gable end of a roof, compatible with both dry verge systems and mortared verges.
• We’ve developed the Bat Ridge Roost in partnership with the Bat Conservation Trust’s Roost Partnership scheme, providing an evidence-based solution that helps ensure bats have safe, temperature-stable roosting environments.

We’re proud that 10% of all Bat Ridge Roost sales are donated directly to the Bat Conservation Trust to support their vital conservation work.

• The Bat Ridge Roost not only serves as a habitat for bats but also functions as a ridge end cap, protecting the ridge tiles from the elements.

Supporting Sustainable Building Practices

As building regulations around wildlife protection evolve, products like Swift Bricks and the Bat Ridge Roost offer developers an easy way to meet these new demands. These solutions support the conservation of vital species while enhancing the sustainability of buildings.

For example, Swift Bricks can play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with future legislation that may require swift nesting sites bricks to be installed in all future new builds. By integrating these features today, developers are preparing for the regulations of tomorrow.

Why Wait for New Rules? Act Now!

With policies around biodiversity protection set to tighten, now is the time to act. Manthorpe Building Products is proud to offer solutions that not only help you meet these future requirements but also support the protection of wildlife in your developments.

The Swift Brick and Bat Ridge Roost are just two of the many ways we’re working to create a more sustainable future for both people and nature. Let’s build for tomorrow - today.

Discover more about how Swift Bricks and Bat Ridge Roost can help protect wildlife in your developments