Housebuilders Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes have extended their partnership with the RSPB, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, for another five years.

The two organisations have agreed to work together for another five years, with parent company Barratt Redrow investing over £1m in the new partnership, on top of what it spends supporting nature and wildlife on its developments.

The extension of the partnership means that local developments across West Sussex such as Ryebank Gate, Fairway Gardens and Ecclesden Park can continue to benefit from RSPB advice, helping to give nature a home.

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes has installed five Pollinator Education Stations at its Sussex developments in collaboration with local environmental charity, Sussex Green Living, as part of its commitment to supporting local ecology.

Blue tit Parus caeruleus, juvenile, perched on garden trellis with flowering honeysuckle

placeholder image — Blue tit Parus caeruleus, juvenile, perched on garden trellis with flowering honeysuckle

The hubs provide essential resources and habitats for butterflies and bees in the area.

The housebuilders have also hosted several ecology workshops across its developments for the local community and its residents. These have included bee safaris, and gardening workshops to boost biodiversity.

Since 2014, the RSPB has been providing expertise to Barratt Redrow to help build homes and developments in a nature-friendly way, to inspire homeowners to support wildlife on their doorstep and to influence government and the wider sector to help nature thrive.

The partnership has allowed for the local community and residents to create wildlife havens across West Sussex. In support of bird conservation, the housebuilders have designed swift bricks which were installed in 7,500 new homes and created wildlife-friendly show home gardens.

The next five years will focus on the organisations strengthening existing initiatives whilst creating new opportunities to protect nature within Barratt Redrow developments and communities. This includes establishing more exemplar nature-friendly features around the country and rolling out Species Enhancement Plans.

Mark Vanson, Sales & Marketing Director at Barratt Redrow Southern Counties, commented: “Whilst we face a nature and climate emergency in the UK, we also need to build more homes to tackle the housing crisis. This is why we have partnered with the RSPB for the past 11 years to show how it’s possible to build new homes for people and wildlife. We are delighted to now be extending the partnership for another five years, building on what we have already learnt together giving nature a home.”

Beccy Speight, RSPB’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “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 multiple awards including the Big Biodiversity Challenge Award for its show home designs, The Corporate Engagement Award for Best Sustainable Programme and a prestigious RSPCA Animal Hero Award.

By working with the RSPB for another five years Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes will continue to champion wildlife wherever it builds, with its customers, with government and across the housebuilding industry.