Swifts in crisis - the struggle continues

Published: 10 December 2025

We’d like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who signed and raised their voice for nature. The overwhelming response, led to the proposal being debated by the Senedd on 1 October 2025 (watch the debate here). 

We were pleased to see many Senedd members show their support for this fast-declining species. Swift numbers have tumbled by 76% in Wales since 1995, so it’s imperative that action is taken for them. Yet, despite the urgency and the support, Welsh Government rejected the proposal on the grounds that mandating Swift bricks could mean that developers would see installing Swift bricks alone as enough to satisfy existing National Planning Policy requirements that contribute towards current Net Benefit for Biodiversity (NBB) targets.

As part of National Planning Policy, Welsh Government uses a net benefit for biodiversity (NBB) approach to deliver an overall improvement in biodiversity from building developments. This puts the emphasis on considering biodiversity impacts and benefits early in the design stage of developments, to benefit wider ecosystem resilience. 

We, and our campaign partners North Wales Wildlife Trust, don’t believe that the installation of Swift bricks in all new buildings would undermine the delivery of NBB. It should be entirely possible to integrate mandatory Swift bricks within current frameworks. Similarly, the suggestion that developers might try to claim Swift brick installation as their sole responsibility under NBB, at the expense of other biodiversity measures, is not a valid reason not to legislate.

Given that Swift bricks are affordable, easy to install and can benefit multiple-species (not just Swifts), they should be mandated in a way that complements existing policy requirements. 

Following the discussion in plenary, the Petitions Committee closed the petition noting that the issue could be taken up by the separate Parties in their manifestos ahead of the Senedd elections in May 2026. 

Our nature Manifesto calls for nature-friendly design and building to be mandated in all new developments and we’ll be advocating for nature to be prioritised when selecting new sites for development to ensure all wildlife is protected.

Keep an eye out on our website in the New Year for top tips on how to keep nature on the forefront of the political agenda in the run up to the Senedd elections.