Minister scraps plan to oblige builders to make shelter for sparrows, bats in new homes

Builders of new homes do not have to provide shelter for house sparrows, swifts, or bats, Housing Minister Mona Keijzer has reported. Her predecessor, Hugo de Jonge, had brought this proposition before his departure, but the current Cabinet wants to scrap “conflicting or redundant requirements.”

The hope in the Cabinet at the time and environmental organizations was the obligated nesting areas would lead to a growth in the number of sparrows or bats. Various options were possible for this, such as nesting boxes or special stones with cavities.

The bird protection organization Vogelbescherming Nederland thinks that birds and nature will suffer because of Keijzer’s decision. The organization pointed out that the number of house sparrows in the Netherlands has decreased by 60 percent since the 1980s.

“Other bird types are also disappearing from the country,” said Vogelbescherming Nederland. The organization called it a “worrying trend that requires action.”

Other changes in the so-called Environment Buildings Decree of the Netherlands (Bbl) will remain intact. For example, bumps into balconies are not allowed to be higher than two centimeters so that wheelchair users can go over it. CO2 meters will also be mandatory in all classrooms.