Call for housing providers to step up as nature crisis deepens

Housing providers have been called on to stand up for environmental protections and lead a sector-wide push for nature recovery, a summit of more than 50 housing and environment professionals has heard.

Daniel Salliss, Biodiversity and Land Manager at housing provider BFL (Bromford Flagship LiveWest), told delegates that housing and nature should be treated as partners, not rivals, and urged the sector to push back against any narrative that pits one against the other.

He said there was already strong work happening across housing, but the scale of the biodiversity crisis meant the whole sector needed to accelerate.

He said: “We’ve seen from our own work that when you give green spaces a chance to recover, the results come quickly. You get more wildflowers, more wildlife, and customers who really support the change. We’re working towards creating wildflower meadows across 1,200 sites by 2030 and managing our green spaces in more nature-friendly ways.

“It’s in the sector’s interest to keep backing nature recovery. It helps create stronger communities, supports people’s health and makes places more resilient to climate change.

“This event is about sharing what we’ve learned, hearing from others doing similar work, and figuring out together how to speed things up. Networks like the Biodiversity in Housing Network show just how much good work is already underway. The question now is how we all scale it up fast enough to match the pace of the crisis.”

Bringing groups together

BFL’s Nature in Housing summit brought together groups such as Suffolk Wildlife Trust, CPRE Norfolk and the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership at the Food Museum in Stowmarket on Earth Day – 22 April.

Environmental consultancies and sustainability specialists, including Garden Organic, Greengage, Tranquil City and Wendling Beck, were also there, alongside other housing providers such as Clarion and Southern Housing.

CPRE Norfolk trustee, Pallavi Devuapalli attended the summit and said “It was a great day meeting and building connections with people who care deeply about improving our relationship with the natural world through better-designed housing. There is a desperate need for housing that places nature at its core – this benefits both the residents and the environment. This is a big part of CPRE Norfolk’s work, which is evident in our Dark Skies campaign and our efforts against the proposal for mega-solar farms in the countryside.

“We hope to build on these connections at future events. Together, our voices will be stronger and better able to reach the people who make the decisions.“

The summit’s importance

The summit comes as scientists warn Britain has just 20 years to halt a spiralling decline in wildlife, with 2050 described as a “point of no return” for dozens of native species. The UK has already lost more than half its natural biodiversity and is now one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

Mr Salliss said the housing sector had a direct role to play in turning that around.

He said: “Housing providers manage enormous amounts of land. If we get the green spaces around our homes right, we can make a real difference to wildlife, help manage climate risks and improve people’s wellbeing.

“But this needs the whole sector pulling in the same direction, and it needs policy that treats nature as part of the solution, not something to be traded away when it’s inconvenient.”

The summit follows a similar event held at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve in March 2025. BFL plans to make it an annual fixture, with the aim of building a cross-sector network focused on practical action for nature in housing.

Further information

About Bromford Flagship LiveWest (BFL)

Bromford Flagship LiveWest is a place-based affordable housing provider for almost 300,000 customers across the south west, central and east of England. They are the UK’s largest provider of new affordable homes, delivering more than 3,000 each year. They deliver locally, coordinate regionally and are supported centrally, organising their work around the places and communities they serve, and enabling people to thrive.

The biodiversity warning

A study published in March 2026 by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), published in Nature Communications, warned that decisions on climate and land use over the next 20 years will determine the fate of dozens of native birds, butterflies and plants across Britain. The researchers described 2050 as a “point of no return” and said that without strong action, more than 200 species could become extinct.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)

Biodiversity Net Gain became mandatory for most new developments in England in February 2024 under the Environment Act 2021. It requires developers to demonstrate at least a 10% increase in biodiversity value, secured and managed for a minimum of 30 years. In December 2025, the government announced that smaller housing sites under 0.2 hectares would be exempt from BNG requirements, and signalled further changes for medium-sized developments.

Earth Day 2026

Earth Day takes place annually on 22 April. The 2026 theme is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’, emphasising that environmental progress is driven by the actions of communities and organisations. It is the world’s largest annual environmental event, observed in 193 countries.