The Issue

HELP SAVE OUR SWIFTS VANISHING FROM OUR SKIES. 

HOMES FOR SWIFTS IN SHROPSHIRE.

We want Shropshire Council to make it mandatory for Swift bricks to be included on all new developments and renovations.

Swift numbers in the UK have fallen by  68% since 1995. If this continues, we risk losing them altogether. 

Every year, Swifts travel seven thousand miles to nest in our towns and cities - including here in Shropshire. But modern buildings are shutting them out. With no gaps or eaves to nest in, Swifts are being left homeless, with no place to breed. And it’s not just wildlife being affected – our communities across Shropshire are watching a bird they love vanish from their skies.  We’re at a tipping point. If we don’t act now, another generation of Swifts could vanish from Shropshire's skies - and our children and future generations will grow up  where these incredible birds become a fading memory.  Our summer skies will be silent.

But it’s not too late. With one simple planning policy change, Shropshire Council can help Swifts recover, and set an example for councils across the UK.  A Swift brick is a nest box the size and shape of a building brick.  It's cheap and easy to install (replacing a standard clay brick with a Swift brick) and this simple 'brick switch' will make a huge difference in helping this red listed bird.  Swift bricks - small, affordable, permanent nesting spaces that fit into the walls of new buildings. If Shropshire Council adopts a Swift brick policy, requiring developers to include these bricks in every new build and renovation we can help towards reversing this decline.

Sign and share this petition to show Shropshire Council that the time to act is now - before we lose these magnificent birds for good.