Award win for Hedgehog Highways at national biodiversity awards

Hedgehog Highways, a scheme developed by Redrow West Country, has won a prestigious award at the Big Biodiversity Challenge Awards 2017.

Providing a simple way of making gardens hedgehog-friendly, the scheme was announced as the winner of the Small Scale Permanent Award.

Redrow worked closely with the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, who have been running the nationwide campaign Hedgehog Street since 2011, to introduce small, square marked holes into the new garden fences in phase two of their popular Barnstaple development, Glenwood Park. Hedgehogs can roam up to one mile a night, so these holes allow hedgehogs to move freely between gardens whilst they forage for food and mates.

Redrow committed to the scheme after learning that since 2,000, it is estimated that between a third and a half of all hedgehogs have disappeared from Britain with impermeable fences being criticised as one of the main reasons for the decline. Workers and staff have been engaged in the project from planning and designing the fencing to promoting the scheme to prospective buyers in the sales centre.

Every year, The Big Biodiversity Challenge Awards which are run by the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), recognise businesses that go beyond normal business practice to incorporate biodiversity enhancements into construction projects.

Rob MacDiarmid, Group Sustainability Director at Redrow commented: “We are delighted the Hedgehog Highways scheme has been acknowledged at the national Big Biodiversity Awards. Since its launch, the scheme has been met with such enthusiasm from residents and prospective buyers at Glenwood Park. It is a simple yet innovative concept which can make a huge difference to the hedgehog community.”

Emily Wilson, Hedgehog Officer at Hedgehog Street, commented: “Redrow are the first developer in the south-west to consider hedgehogs. With careful planning there is no reason why new residential developments cannot have thriving hedgehog populations, and we hope this cheap, easy and attractive feature becomes the norm for all gardens.”

Redrow creates thriving communities by building responsibly and valuing people. Biodiversity plays a key part in this approach and enhancing natural habitats which are easily accessible for local families and communities to enjoy.

For more information on Redrow’s approach to sustainability visit: www.redrowplc.co.uk/sustainability.    For more information on the Big Biodiversity Challenge visit: http://www.bigchallenge.info

For more information about Hedgehog Street and how you can help hedgehogs in your garden, visit www.hedgehogstreet.org