New Swift Tower Nesting Site For Shalford

Published on: 29 Dec, 2018
Updated on: 4 Jan, 2019

An impression of what the swift tower will look like.

Swifts will soon have a new place to nest in Shalford thanks to a project funded by developer contributions and the Surrey Hills Trust Fund.

Artist Will Nash has been appointed to design a nesting tower, which will be unveiled in time for swifts when returning to the local area in late spring.

A swift tower is a free-standing structure, with lots of compartments for swifts to build their nests in.

The project will be mainly funded by Section 106 Developer contributions, which come from agreements between local authorities (in this instance Guildford Borough Council) and developers and linked to planning permissions.

It is also supported by a £2,000 donation from the Surrey Hills Trust Fund.

The leader of Guildford Borough Council, Paul Spooner, said: “Swifts are an important species, currently in decline, and the tower will provide them with an ideal place to nest when they return every year.”

Cllr Alan Midgely from Shalford Parish Council added: “The parish council is very pleased to see this project coming to fruition and in particular that it will have a link to the local environment and natural character of Shalford and its common. It will be good to have an attractive local feature that will support swifts’ habitat and their numbers in the future.”

The chairman of the Surrey Hills Trust Fund, Gordon Jackson, who is also a Guildford borough councillor, said: “We are delighted to award a grant towards this exciting concept. The Surrey Hills Trust Fund is keen to support projects that conserve and enhance the fragile environment of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and preserve the local eco-system.”

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