Homes England has signed up to the Homes for Nature commitment, reinforcing the government housing agency’s role in tackling biodiversity loss, climate change and wider environmental challenges through new development.
The initiative, backed by almost 30 housebuilders, sets clear expectations for nature‑friendly design in new homes. Members commit to installing a bird‑nesting brick or box in every new home and creating a hedgehog highway in every new development, helping wildlife to thrive alongside new communities.
Developers delivering homes on Homes England land will now be required to include these measures as part of a broader approach to sustainable placemaking and high‑quality design.
The Homes for Nature commitment sits alongside the recently implemented Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) regulations, which require all new developments to deliver at least a 10 per cent increase in biodiversity compared with pre‑development levels.
Together, the two approaches are intended to embed nature recovery into housing delivery from the outset, supporting healthier environments while maintaining housing supply.
In addition to the core commitments, scheme members are encouraged to go further by incorporating features such as bat roosts, insect bricks and hibernacula within individual homes.
At a site‑wide level, developers are also urged to consider nature‑led sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) and planting strategies designed specifically to support biodiversity and climate resilience.
Sarah Greenwood, Homes England’s Assistant Director for Sustainability and Design, commented:
“We’re delighted to become a signatory of Homes for Nature, ensuring that our schemes adopt a range of simple but effective measures to support declining and vulnerable species. This commitment is an action we’re taking as part of our new Nature Positive Plan, which sets out our role in reversing nature’s decline. Through our approach to achieving sustainability and high-quality design, we want to deliver great places to live, for both people and nature.”
Homes for Nature was developed by the On Site Nature Measures Working Group, an industry‑led group convened by the Future Homes Hub.
The Future Homes Hub is an independent organisation established to support the housebuilding sector in responding to climate and environmental challenges, providing a collaborative space for industry, government and delivery partners.
For public‑sector leaders, planners and regeneration professionals, Homes England’s commitment signals a continued shift towards nature‑positive development, where environmental outcomes are treated as a core component of housing delivery rather than an add‑on.
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