Six ways to manage open spaces on housing developments to promote biodiversity
Six ways to manage open spaces on housing developments to promote biodiversity
Britain’s wildlife is an important part of our heritage and plays a vital role in our survival. Without wild pollinators such as butterflies and bees, our diets, and indeed our economy would be much poorer.
Here are six ways that we can play a small part by considerate management of green and blue spaces on our managed housing developments.
- Bird Boxes
Bird boxes are a great way to support our feathered friends. They can provide a safe home for woodland birds to nest and rear their young. They are cheap and easy to construct and can last for years. They require annual cleaning during the winter, but other than that, should be low maintenance.
- Woodlands
Many species are dependent on woodland conditions. Active management which may include preserving ancient trees and deadwood, or thinning to allow light to reach the woodland floor, is essential to conserve and enhance biodiversity.
They can be great places for adventures too! The trick is to try to find a balance between activity and preservation, and encouraging users to stick to established routes and paths for instance.
- Limit the use of chemicals
We can support biodiversity by avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides that are not picky and can’t tell the difference between good bugs and the bad. Bees, in particular, can be sensitive to pesticides, both organic, and chemical.
- Ponds
Ponds are amongst the most diverse freshwater habitats. The conservation of ponds represents a cost-effective way of maintaining or enhancing biodiversity. Creating pond habitats can significantly improve landscape biodiversity over relatively short time periods, because of the typically small size of pond catchment areas.
- Pollinator Friendly Plants
One of the biggest problems for pollinators is a lack of flowering plants, especially those packed with pollen and nectar. We aim to plant pollinator-friendly plants across our developments to ensure our environments can thrive. Even the smallest wildflower meadow will provide homes and food for many of the creatures that enrich our lives.
- SUDS
Many components of SUDS can make a significant contribution to the biodiversity value of an area. Bringing drainage to the surface with ponds, swales and basins, offers a dual-purpose opportunity for developers that could limit the commercial loss of land to usable development especially in space-restricted urban sites. Biodiversity net gain makes the aspirations for SuDS more deliverable, and SuDS can help to support healthy habitats.
