Survey Reveals Housing Developers Not Keeping Promises to Help Wildlife
A report released by Wild Justice, a campaign group, has uncovered concerning findings about the state of ecological features in new housing developments. Researchers from the University of Sheffield conducted a survey of nearly 6,000 houses across 42 developments and found that only half of the promised ecological enhancements had been implemented.
The report, titled “Lost Nature,” highlights the failure of developers to fulfill legally-binding promises to mitigate harm to nature on housing developments. The survey, which took place between June and August 2024, covered over 291 hectares of land across five Local Planning Authorities in England.
According to the report, many promised ecological features such as Hedgehog highways, bug boxes, bird and bat boxes, and reptile refuges were found to be missing on the ground. The situation was equally concerning when it came to plant life, with 39% of trees either dead or missing and 82% of woodland edge seed mixes failing to materialize.
The distribution of compliance varied greatly among the surveyed developments, with the least compliant site scoring 0% and the best scoring 95%. However, the report notes that these high scores do not necessarily reflect the ecological value of the developments, but rather their compliance with planning conditions.
The researchers also found little variation in compliance among developers of different sizes or in different areas of the country. This, according to Wild Justice, indicates a systemic issue in the planning and development system as a whole.
The report also raises concerns about the new Biodiversity Net Gain system introduced in 2024, which is being used to justify increased levels of development on the premise that ecological harms can be mitigated. However, the Lost Nature report reveals a worrying gap in the implementation and enforcement of these enhancements, leading to a net loss for nature.
Professor Malcolm Tait, from the School of Geography and Planning at the University of Sheffield, stated, “What we have revealed is a huge, systemic issue and an urgent need for the planning enforcement system to be given the resources it needs to protect wildlife from harm.”
A spokesperson from Wild Justice added, “This is regulatory failure – developers cheat the system and nothing happens – except wildlife loses out, yet again.”
The report highlights the need for urgent action to address this issue and ensure that developers fulfill their promises to help wildlife on new housing developments. With the government recently announcing ambitious housing targets, it is crucial that the planning system is equipped to protect and enhance nature alongside development.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.