Bid to give town wildlife a home

The firm has agreed a three-year extension of a unique partnership with the RSPB to create wildlife friendly housing in Wetherby, including Templars Chase.

“The aim of the partnership is to help welcome all forms of wildlife and nature on new housing developments,” said a spokesman for David Wilson Homes.

“And it is implemented through initiatives such as hedgehog highways, wild bee friendly planting and swift bricks – a nest box inside a brick which helps the birds breed while in the UK each summer.”

The first three years of the partnership have been declared a resounding success with both organisations working together to agree best practice on what are the most effective plants and shrubs to use in gardens, the best times in the year to survey local species and how to make good use of existing nature features on new developments.

Mike Clarke, chief executive of the RSPB, welcomed the deal and said: “The wildlife we see and hear where we live is important.

“Having birds, butterflies, bees, hedgehogs and other visitors in our gardens makes us feel good about where we live as well as improving our own sense of wellbeing.