Labour’s recent decision to block the proposed requirement for swift bricks in all new homes is deeply disappointing, not just for those of us advocating for biodiversity in the built environment, but for an industry that was prepared to deliver. Once again, we’ve seen the same frustrating cycle. Political signals spark innovation, suppliers respond and then the policy quietly vanishes. It’s a familiar pattern that damages confidence and delays progress at precisely the moment we need clarity most.

Swift bricks are a textbook example of what policy should be encouraging: low-cost, high-impact and simple to implement. For under £100 per unit installed, developers can provide nesting sites for swifts and other birds whose natural habitats have all but disappeared in our modern buildings. These bricks require no maintenance, pose no risk to building performance and have the backing of planners, ecologists and many developers. And yet, they’ve been dropped on the basis of avoiding ‘unnecessary burdens’; a claim that simply doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. What’s more worrying is the broader signal this sends. Since biodiversity net gain (BNG) became mandatory in 2024, we’ve seen a marked increase in interest in nature-inclusive features, from swift bricks and bee bricks to hedgehog highways and bat boxes. There’s real appetite to embed biodiversity into the very fabric of new developments, but this kind of on-site, integrated solution is now at risk of being sidelined.

With the introduction of the new Nature Restoration Fund, which allows developers to offset biodiversity elsewhere, there’s a danger that simple, visible, local interventions like swift bricks get overlooked. Offsite compensation might tick boxes, but it can’t replace the value of everyday encounters with nature where people live. When swifts return to nest in a development year after year, it becomes part of the place’s identity, something no distant habitat bank can replicate. We’re also concerned about the cumulative effect of mixed messaging from government on environmental issues. Every time a commitment is watered down or scrapped, it creates further uncertainty for developers, planners and suppliers. This stop-start policy environment increases risk, slows projects and undermines investment in innovation.

At Grayson, we’ve committed to supporting biodiversity through practical, scalable solutions, and we’re not backing away from that. But we can’t do it alone. The construction industry needs regulatory certainty if we’re going to keep innovating and delivering at scale. Voluntary uptake is a start, but national standards are what drive real, consistent change. Swift bricks won’t solve the biodiversity crisis on their own, but dropping them undermines a much wider effort. If we’re serious about restoring nature, we need to stop making it optional