Kent housebuilder Redrow South East and the RSPB, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, have renewed their award-winning partnership for another five years, backed by a £1m investment from parent company Barratt Redrow.
The collaboration strives to continue to set the benchmark for nature-friendly housing while inspiring homeowners and communities to help wildlife thrive.
Since 2014, the RSPB has been working with Barratt Redrow to create nature-friendly developments, encourage homeowners to support wildlife and influence government and the wider housebuilding sector to promote thriving natural environments.
The extension of the partnership means that local developments such as Greenways, Stonehaven Park and Crown Hill View can continue to receive RSPB advice, as well as benefitting from the contributions the housebuilder makes to supporting nature and wildlife in the area.
The partnership has already driven tangible change. Initiatives such as the Nature on Your Doorstep hub, which has been visited by over 1.5m unique users, encourages people to create a wildlife haven in their own outdoor spaces through inspirational content, top tips and advice.
Other benefits include various landscaping and gardening guides, designing a new swift brick, which is being installed in 7,500 new homes, and creating wildlife-friendly show home gardens.
With an expanded RSPB team supporting the partnership, Barratt Redrow and the RSPB hope to achieve even more by deepening existing initiatives and creating new opportunities to protect nature within Barratt Redrow developments and communities.
Plans include establishing more exemplar nature-friendly features around the country and rolling out development specific Species Enhancement Plans to support species most in need in that area.
Chris Lilley, managing director of Redrow South East, said: “Whilst we face a nature and climate emergency in the UK, we also need to build more homes to tackle the housing crisis.
“Our partnership with the RSPB for the past 11 years has shown it’s possible to build new homes for people and wildlife. We are delighted to be extending the partnership for another five years, building on what we have already learnt together, giving nature a home.”
Beccy Speight, chief executive officer at RSPB, added: “We are at a very critical time in terms of the state of the natural world, and now more than ever, it is absolutely vital that we put nature at the centre of everything we do – especially when it comes to planning where and how we build houses in this country.
“We know that when we join forces and work together, with the right expertise and shared aims, we can achieve more for nature, and we look forward to continuing to build on what our partnership with Barratt Redrow has already achieved, for the next five years.”
The partnership has won several awards, including a BIG biodiversity challenge award for show home designs, the corporate engagement award for best sustainable programme and a prestigious RSPCA animal hero award.
