Swift bricks become mandatory for new buildings in Scotland

The Scottish Parliament has passed a law that requires new buildings in Scotland to be fitted with swift bricks for nesting birds. The requirement for swift bricks to be installed in new buildings "where reasonably practicable and appropriate" was included in an amendment to the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, as proposed by Scottish Green Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) Mark Ruskell. Swift bricks are hollow bricks that can be inhabited by cavity-nesting birds such as swifts, an aerial bird once common in the UK that is now on the country's Red List of conservation concern. Backed by MSPs across parties, the change to the Scottish bill to make swift bricks mandatory will enter a 12-month consultation period to establish building standards. In an Instagram post, Bourne-Taylor expressed "tears of joy" over Scotland's mandatory swift bricks law.