A LOCAL housebuilder is attempting to boost wildlife across the region with an RSPB nature-friendly housing partnership.

Barratt Developments North East is celebrating its ongoing partnership with the RSPB by continuing to raise the bar for nature-friendly housing across the region.

By 2023, Barratt will further prioritise wildlife on all of its new developments by creating dedicated spaces for local biodiversity conservation.

This commitment will include a range of wildlife-friendly features such as more newly planted trees, a greater number of hedgehog highways and swift nesting sites, and a transition to becoming peat-free, in an effort to help local nature habitats in trouble.

In addition to this, every new show home garden in the region will follow strict RSPB guidance which prioritises wildlife through specialist planting and landscaping, with at least 50 per cent of the gardens to receive RSPB commendations.