The Duchy of Cornwall is working with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to trial the use of built-in nesting boxes at Nansledan.
In partnership with builders CG Fry, Morrish and Wainhomes, the unobtrusive boxes are being built into the walls of homes and public buildings to provide additional habitat for building-dependant birds such as swifts, starlings and house sparrows.
The Duchy first trialled the scheme at its Tregunnel Hill sister development in Newquay, and it is now being tried at Nansledan with the aim of encouraging the practice in other developments across the country.
The nesting boxes are designed to fit into a number of finishes, including brickwork, coloured render and slate. Each box is a self-contained unit that protects the integrity of the building in which it sits, prevents birds from entering voids and will last indefinitely, unlike more traditional external nest boxes.
Stephen Fitt of RSPB South West said: “Working with the Duchy of Cornwall and the consortium of builders at Nansledan gives us the opportunity to demonstrate how modern buildings can accommodate nesting boxes in a way that is both unobtrusive and cost-effective, and we hope it is a practice that can be adopted by planners, builders and architects nationwide.”
There is a short film about the nesting box initiative at Nansledan here:
