Hedgehogs and Developers.

 Hedgehogs and Developers.

As a hedgehog rescuer I spend countless hours tending to sick and injured hedgehogs, ( 290 last year).  It  is a life choice which was mine to make and in truth  I do it because I CAN.

There is an interesting dichotomy in the UK attached to our only indigenous prickly mammals, they are simultaneously our most loved and yet beleaguered animals. At current rates of destruction they cannot possibly survive long term, and in the short to medium term they may well struggle.

They are  currently afforded little real protection At the time of writing developers do not have to survey for them routinely as they do for species with better protection. Hedgehogs have no fight of flight response and when great swathes of land are cleared  the hedgehogs are simply cleared with it. Buried alive or bulldozed  at worse, displaced at best.

These little animals do travel in search of food (up to 2 km a night) and we need to keep them off our busy roads. It is estimated that some 350,000 hogs a year are killed on our roads. The easy answer is for people to cut a 13cm square hole in their boundary fences, creating a highway through gardens for the safe passage of these curious little creatures. It is SO easy.

In my nearest small town, Howden, a huge swathe of what was wilderness was cleared recently for the erection of 1,000 new homes, by various developers. Howden is a small, historic picturesque town in the East Riding of Yorkshire with a Minster dating back to 1228 AD. 1,000 new homes has a huge impact on the infrastructure, the people and the wildlife.  It is small and friendly and people care about their town and welcome newcomers with sincerity.

Of course all developers have ecological surveys done but they do not have to consider hedgehogs and so if they are 'not there' nothing has to be done to mitigate the impact of this destruction of their habitat. A recent petition to parliament hopes to change this. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/550379

In July 2019 new  ‘Planning Practice Guidance’ was published  which gives advice re biodiversity net gain. It is not an outright legal obligation to provide enhancement such as  hedgehog highways but surely any developer with a real interest in their impact on the natural world will pay it due regard.   There is no real cost, but it does require the desire to make this tiny change. Small changes  can have a hugely beneficial impact on hedgehog survival.

 An  excellent free guide for developers  is available here  https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/development/

I , therefore, made it my mission to establish the 'green credentials' of the participating developers. 

I was delighted by the first development by Harron Homes https://www.harronhomes.com/find-a-home/east-yorkshire/york-vale-gardens/

I called into the site office to discover that hedgehog highways had been incorporated into the development  from the outset enabling hedgehogs to pass through the area (which was after all their hunting ground) in search of food. This was done as part of the planning process. The builder is also adding areas of wildness and calm which can hopefully be enjoyed by both residents and wildlife. Great work Harron Homes!

The second development is by Bellway Homes  . Their environmental policy can be viewed on line...but extracts from it read...

' We aim to comply, and where practicable, exceed all relevant environmental legislation and regulations.'

'We aim to minimise adverse effects on the environment '

When they began the development https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/yorkshire/imperial-gardens a colleague  spoke with the project manager about the inclusion of a hedgehog highway and was met with positivity and seemingly genuine interest in the idea. However, sadly they failed to deliver and the connectivity across this massive estate was, therefore, blocked.

After some time of no response to my enquiries, an enormous amount of time and tenacity and a little political pressure  the sustainability manager finally made contact and after some wrangling and discussion  he has done a wonderful thing in taking on board the importance of this tiny adjustment. I am delighted to say that they are now installing highways in all unoccupied and yet to be build properties and have offered to purchase the lovely Timmy Timloc surrounds for anyone already in residence who would like to help this project. One of the residents of the development has offered to coordinate this and I thanks Vicki for her time and enthusiasm. I couldn't have wished for a better outcome and I thank Bellway for listening and  eventually responding so positively..

https://www.timloc.co.uk/sustainability/hedgehog-highway-by-timloc  

 The next development is by Lovell homes ( https://www.lovell.co.uk/developments/)  and a quick email to the CEO of the Company was responded to very quickly and very positively. A highway had not been included but he spoke with the development manager at the Howden Site , Marlena Przewuska the very next day. She responded...

 'We just try to be a responsible developer and if we can achieve gains by doing something so minimal everyone wins !' 

A 15cm hole will be placed in all the boundary fences. I was thrilled with this response but will of course  monitor it..

The development in Howden can , therefore, now support the survival of hedgehogs who are now able to  travel across it via gardens rather than on busy roads where they are likely to perish. 

Why is it important you may ask, after all they are only hedgehogs?

It is important because they are a keystone species, and a barometer  of how well we are doing in the natural world. 

It is important because this must be happening all over the country as vast swathes of wilderness are destroyed in the name of 'progress'. 

It is important because  I hope that generations to come  will get the opportunity to see these curious little creatures snuffling in their gardens. 

It is important because I  am asking so little of people who can do so much, with so little effort and no added expense .

It is important because I spend endless hours tending to the injuries and illnesses which are largely due to the effects of human impact . I guess that seeing so many of these beleaguered creatures, suffering at the hands of mankind has sharpened my desire to do what little I can.

It is important because in the big scheme of things, I fear that hedgehogs are doomed and I think we should all care about that.

Surely those concerned with sustainability and biodiversity in our Council departments should be promoting anything that will help to try and balance out the hugely negative impact  these developments have on our native flora and fauna.

My mission is to make a difference garden by garden, village by village, and town by town .

If you would like to join me in that please ensure that you have a means for hedgehogs to get into and out of your garden and have a conversation with your neighbours to request them to do the same and please make sure you have a shallow bowl of clean water available at all times.

I hope that now I have introduced  the directors of these huge and profitable companies to the idea of hedgehog highways , that they will become a regular feature in future envelopments.

 

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