A part of our biodiversity pathway, we're focussing on 30 key species by creating and enhancing habitats to support them by implementing habitat enhancements on 30 sites across all regions every year.
We're doing this by:
- Increasing the number of trees, hedgerows, wildflower meadows, flowering borders and shrub across our land
- Providing habitats such as bird and bat boxes and insect houses, altering our mowing regimes to promote habitats for insects and wildlife.
- Providing colleagues and residents with the knowledge on how to be more biodiverse.
What we've done so far
In Sussex, we've installed 25 swift bricks through social value by Colours Decorating in June 2024, with a further 30 swift bricks installed at Alexandra Mansions, Hastings, Sussex in March 2025. One colleague, Alan, has also installed 39 House Martin cups. This gives a home to so many of our local birds to nest and find shelter.
We’ve cut and collected from all our grassed areas, composting the grass on site in enclosed areas on 50% of our sites. During the Autumn/Winter, we empty them either onto beds on the scheme, or take it to a local allotments.
We also collect all the leaves from over 45 sites, loading them on our trailers and taking them to the allotments. It feels good to be able to see all the green waste used and dug back into the ground. Where we do not compost on site, we’re going to increase our cut and drop methods to optimize the soil health by keeping it moist and recycling the carbon.
We’ve been identifying areas for reduced cutting to create wildflower meadows to support pollinators, including our focus species, the Shrill Carder bee. These rare bees thrive on large areas of tall open flower-rich grasslands close to undisturbed nesting habitat in Kent. This year, 9 sites totalling 14,555 square feet have been blooming with colour and buzzing with life covering the same area as 5 double tennis courts!
We’ve installed bat boxes on 8 sites in the East and South London region that will support the Pipistrelle bat. The boxes are sheltered from the wind but unshaded for most of the day on a south-easterly to south-westerly aspect. Bat boxes are more likely to succeed in areas where there is a good mixture of foraging habitat, including trees, and a source of water.
Bat boxes in areas with few other roosting opportunities are also likely to be more successful. We’ve ensured the bats approach to the box is clear underneath the box so the bats can land easily before crawling up into the box.
We’ve been improving existing hedgerows and busy providing new habitats to support the local wildlife.
Hedgerows make a great shelter and their flowers, berries and nuts are a vital food source for invertebrates, birds and mammals. Hedgehogs nest and feed in hedgerows alongside birds including and bats use them as ‘commuter routes’ for foraging and roosting.
As well as providing food and shelter, hedges help species to move through our landscapes from one habitat patch to another. These wildlife corridors are vital for species like the rare hazel dormouse which struggle to cross large open areas like farmed fields.
Also, a variety of fruit trees have been planted in 4 schemes providing food for birds and insects as well as plenty of places to shelter and nest.
One of the key benefits of having an in-house Estate Services Team is the added value they bring to our communities.
In this instance, it’s particularly pleasing to see our in-house teams collaborating with biodiversity and sustainability colleagues to identify areas for wilding, replanting, and installing bat/bird boxes.
In most cases, our GM teams complete these tasks within their regular working hours, with no additional cost to residents. Seeds, plants, and materials are often supplied free of charge through our social value initiative agreements with maintenance contractors.
Together, we’ve now completed biodiversity enhancements on 60 sites—double our original target of 30. This achievement showcases what we can accomplish when we work together. A huge thank you to all the teams involved!
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