A HOUSEBUILDER with sites in York has announced it has installed 4,000 swift nesting bricks into its homes since 2016 to support local wildlife.

The work is part of Barratt Developments' partnership with the RSPB to help give nature a home by supporting wildlife on new housing developments. Building new homes for swifts is an important goal of this partnership with wildlife across the UK in trouble.

The UK’s population of swifts declined 58 per cent between 1995 and 2018, with the birds last year being added to the UK red list of conservation concern.

Since 2016, Barratt Developments has been working with the RSPB to install special swift nesting bricks that are added into the external walls of new homes as they are being built.

Having now hit its goal of installing 4,000 swift bricks into its homes over the past six years, Barratt has announced a new uprated target of 7,000 swift bricks to be installed by the end of 2025.

Daniel Smith, managing director at Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, said: “Swifts are such important birds, and we are pleased with the 4,000 swift bricks we have installed so far. But, we have to keep on working hard with the RSPB to give these birds even more homes."