Unfortunately the person who took the photograph of the garden that originally appeared here has asked me to remove it - it was a scene of ghastly fragmentation - with newly built houses boxing in a patch of land that was then further boxed into tiny gardens. All barricaded with fences that allow for no movement of hedgehogs. So I have had to replace it with the cover of my new book!

The barren vision in the photograph now gone had potential - it is possible to turn this sort of blank space into something that will bring in birds, butterflies, bees, bats - all blessed with the letter 'b' and, of course, wings. 

The reason I started this petition was to stop this sort of development being built in this manner. It would cost possibly 50p more per house to include hedgehog highways (that was a figure given to me by a developer) - and if the new owners really did not want the corridor (due to small tortoises or a miniature dachshund for example) - then blocking it with a flower pot is easy.

This example is a done deal - but all over the country developers have started revving up their engines to create more houses. Now - there is a massive conversation to be had about the need for and distribution of these houses - as well as the iniquity of empty properties in places like London bought purely as investments ... but not here.

This push to build needs to be met with a citizens' planning department - i.e. - us - checking what is being planned and built near where we live - and then asking the developers the question - could there not be more care taken for wildlife ...

Already we know that some developers are less interested in nature than others. Persimmon seem very uninterested in wildlife. But there is hope as shown by Bovis who have committed to working with hedgehogs in mind. Who have you been in touch with? Try and use the Hedgehog Highway Facebook Group for communication as this site is a little clunky!!

As ever - please keep sharing the petition - there has been a rather pleasing flurry of late!

Now - an unapologetic advert - over lockdown I was able to finish my latest book and it is due out on 10th September - the title of the book ... well, it is almost embarrassing ... it is called The Hedgehog Book! It is richly illustrated - and contains a lot of the latest information we have about our favourite creature - how we can help it - as well as some fun and games around the way it has appeared in art and literature! You can pre-order it here with a price reduction guarantee ...