Giving nature a Barratt home
We’re passionate about making sure our developments are great places for both homeowners and wildlife to live in. That’s why we've been partnered with the RSPB, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, since 2014. Together, we've made it our mission to improve the way in which nature and wildlife are incorporated into our new communities – and we’re very proud of what our partnership has achieved so far and it's even won an award.
Encouraging nature to thrive
With British wildlife in decline it’s essential that we are considering nature and the environment with every home we build.
We’re committed to building wildlife into new housing developments wherever possible, making sure that people and wildlife can live happily alongside each other at our developments for years to come.
(Ben Hall)
How we're building a future for nature
(Grahame Madge)
We’ve also taken steps to help save British wild bees by changing the way we landscape open spaces and showhome gardens at over 400 developments nationwide.
We have worked with the RSPB to boost the number of swifts in the country. With the UK’s population of swifts in serious decline, building new homes for the birds was an important goal of our partnership. The innovative brick, which is also a nesting box for swifts, is now being installed on our developments across the country.
Find out more about our swift bricks in this brochure:
Make a splash for nature this spring
Did you know that one of the easiest ways to help birds and other wildlife is by adding water to your garden or outdoor space? Just a simple bird bath can help by providing birds with water to drink and bathe. Hedgehogs too will make use of a ground level dish, while a shallow water dish with pebbles can help provide bees and other pollinators with a safe place to drink. Add a mini-pond and you could help frogs, toads, dragonflies, damselflies and a whole host of other wonderful water creatures.
It also pays to install a water butt. Using less water in the garden can reduce your water bill and help to protect wetland wildlife in the wider countryside. Last year, the UK experienced the hottest summer on record so it’s well worth taking steps now.
To make a splash for wildlife in your outdoor space take a look at the Nature on Your Doorstep online hub. Here you will find step-by-step guides to bird baths, mini-ponds, water butts and a whole lot more.
Whatever the size of your outdoor space, Nature on Your Doorstep is full of expert advice and wildlife-friendly gardening tips to bring your balcony, backyard or garden to life!
It's an award-winning partnership
We've been awarded Best Housing Partnership at the 2021 British Homes Awards, for our work with RSPB.
Together we've created the UK’s first truly wildlife-friendly housing development at Kingsbrook, a 306-hectare site on the outskirts of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, with the aim of “Giving Nature a Home”.
The 2,450 home project built the care of the natural environment into the scheme at the earliest stages, including keeping ancient hedges, creating a 250-acre nature reserve and visitor centre, and concentrating homes in areas with the least biodiversity.