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Morning Briefing: concern over use of bird nets around developments
Concern over the use of nets to prevent birds nesting near developments, and the rest of the weekend’s housing stories
In the news
There has been some consternation in the news this weekend about birds. Specifically, the practice of ‘protecting’ developments from them with the use of netting.
The Guardian reports on campaigners tearing down the nets, which are used to cover trees and hedges to stop birds nesting near developments.
David Savage from the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust told the paper: “It has gone crazy this year. There seem to be more and more nets being used… It really does feel like nature is an inconvenience to developers that needs to be sorted out, and meanwhile we are losing species at a dramatic rate.”
Meanwhile, Birmingham Live reports on the “outrage” over “vast swathes” of the netting being used to cover hedgerows in Lichfield.
Also in The Guardian over the weekend was a write-up of building society Nationwide’s plans to get into housebuilding.
The Liverpool Echo reports on a new build development in the city that may have to be evacuated over fire safety concerns.
In a similar theme, the BBC carries the latest in a line of articles across the media expressing concern about the quality of new build. It interviews buyers of new homes who have suffered chronic ‘snagging’ problems. One, Justin Revell, says: “You find one problem and that escalates into another problem – it’s like opening a can of worms.”
The Manchester Evening News has the latest on plans to install sprinklers in tower blocks in Stockport, which is set to be fast-tracked to two years from a previous timescale of three to five.
Elsewhere, the BBC has an article on ‘no DSS’ discrimination, namely the practice of refusing tenants on the basis that they are claiming benefits. The article focuses particularly on Wales and speaks to a single mum unable to find a home and a man forced to sleep in his car.
Finally, the Red Brick housing blog notes rising inequality in outer London and considers whether the city is transforming into Paris, which is notorious for its wealthy centre and struggling communities on the edges.
On social media
The bird nets have been sparking discussion on Twitter:
Join the campaign and sign the petition to stop hedgerows being netted to prevent birds nesting. These nets trap #hedgehogs too. We all need wildlife for our wellbeing. Development can be eco-friendly. t.co/6qOy6LlZUZ pic.twitter.com/SlucaqiLB4
— littlesilverhedgehog (@littlesilverhog)Join the campaign and sign the petition to stop hedgerows being netted to prevent birds nesting. These nets trap #hedgehogs too. We all need wildlife for our wellbeing. Development can be eco-friendly. https://t.co/6qOy6LlZUZ pic.twitter.com/SlucaqiLB4
— littlesilverhedgehog (@littlesilverhog) March 21, 2019
@AnwylConstruct so sad to see hedges in Llay covered in nets to prevent birds from nesting on your new housing development site. Our UK birds are in decline. It is so sad. @wrexhamcbc #NestsNotNetting pic.twitter.com/NMGLRfQvVy
— Bec (@mumpuldump1)@AnwylConstruct so sad to see hedges in Llay covered in nets to prevent birds from nesting on your new housing development site. Our UK birds are in decline. It is so sad. @wrexhamcbc #NestsNotNetting pic.twitter.com/NMGLRfQvVy
— Bec (@mumpuldump1) April 4, 2019
And a counterargument:
By removing nets they are inadvertently putting pressue on the developer to rip out these #hedgerows - as the developer cannot afford the development to stop because of breeding birds moving into the hedgerows.@CIEEMnet @IoloWilliams2 @ChrisGPackham t.co/RFJ8V86pfI
— Chris Needham (@Young_Nudger)By removing nets they are inadvertently putting pressue on the developer to rip out these #hedgerows - as the developer cannot afford the development to stop because of breeding birds moving into the hedgerows.@CIEEMnet @IoloWilliams2 @ChrisGPackham https://t.co/RFJ8V86pfI
— Chris Needham (@Young_Nudger) April 6, 2019