Stroud Valleys Project (SVP) is calling for changes in legislation to protect Swifts – and the proactive conservation and community charity says they have support from across the local political spectrum.

Labour Party candidate for the Stroud constituency Simon Opher, Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie and Green Party hopeful Pete Kennedy are all calling for legislation to protect Swifts, ahead of a parliamentary debate on Monday July 10.

A petition for legislation to make Swift bricks compulsory in newbuild dwellings garnered almost 110,000 signatures, but the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have said they would not enforce the measure for wildlife protection.

SVP’s CEO Clare Mahdiyone explains, “Over 100,000 people, including more than 500 in Stroud, signed a petition to make Swift bricks compulsory in newly built houses. It’s an easy fix for a problem we’re seeing with worrying frequency: the reduction in numbers of species living in the UK. Swifts are under threat, and, as well as being a cultural icon for many, they’re also a crucial piece of the ecological jigsaw, which is rapidly coming apart due to changes to our landscape and living habits.

“We believe installing Swift bricks in all new homes will give these birds a chance to recover.

“This is a debate that goes beyond traditional party lines, and we’re delighted that our incumbent MP and our potential representatives in the Labour and Green parties are supporting this move.”

Simon Opher, who currently works as a GP in Dursley, says, “The number of Common Swifts has plummeted by 50% in the last 20 years or so. Swift bricks are cheap and easy to install and will reverse the decline in numbers. I and many others in Stroud have signed the petition to require all newbuilds to be endowed with these bricks… we need a national policy to make sure that all new developments have swift bricks installed."

Stroud MP Siobhan Baillie, said “I am always looking for opportunities to protect wildlife and my work with the WWT at Slimbridge has given me some great insights.

"Swift bricks are a great way to help this declining species and I support this initiative here in Stroud and Swift bricks becoming mandatory in newbuilds.

“Having these birds in our skies is an uplifting experience, something we have cherished for many hundreds of years and one we need to protect.

“It’s great that the petition about this reached enough signatures to have a debate in Parliament so the Minister will respond.”

SVP sells volunteer-made Swift boxes at its eco shop for those who cannot install Swift bricks in their houses. Stroud Swift Group, which was established in conjunction with SVP, will be mapping local nest sites before the Swifts depart after their summer in the UK.