SWIFTS will be protected in future planning applications after a planning committee ratified an earlier decision to support them.

Hexham Town Council Planning and Infrastructure Committee ratified an earlier decision to try and support the much-loved wild bird at its January 2023 meeting by including 'swift bricks' in future buildings to provide nesting space.

Swifts, like many species, are struggling to cope with the impact of the climate emergency, particularly the dramatic loss of flying insects, which are their main food source. Modern buildings and the renovation of older buildings are also denying swifts access to suitable nesting sites.

Swifts travel 14,000 miles from wintering sites in Africa to breeding sites in the UK including the Tyne Valley.

Hexham has many older buildings which for centuries provided swifts with safe nesting sites to which they return every year. Building improvements often remove these sites which are commonly under eaves or in gaps in masonry.

One way to try and compensate for the loss of nesting sites is to include suitable nesting opportunities in building designs.

Nest boxes can be placed on walls and under roof eaves, but another tried and tested method is to include ‘swift bricks’ into walls. This can be done as the wall is built or they can be fitted afterwards simply by removing a conventional brick. Swift bricks are hollow, have a small entrance and provide an ideal nesting site if positioned correctly.

Hexham Town Council is consulted on all local planning applications. Mike Domingue, chair of the Planning and Infrastructure Committee, said: “Human activity is putting intense pressure on our natural world.

"Many birds, animals and plants face a very uncertain future if we don’t quickly start to change how we treat our environment. Swifts are astounding birds that spend their whole life in the air, only landing to breed.

"We are lucky to have them here in Hexham where they bring much joy to the many people who look forward to their annual return. They are one of the heralds of summertime. I am pleased that the council has decided to recommend the inclusion of swift bricks, where relevant, for buildings of two storeys or more. Let’s hope we can keep these super birds visiting us every summer for many, many years to come.”      

For more information, email hexhamnature@gmail.com.