Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits for the hedgehog population of requiring construction companies to ensure that cement-based fence panels in new housing developments have ground level tunnels.

Our planning practice guidance acknowledges the importance of incorporating measures that accommodate wildlife, including hedgehogs, in new developments. The creation and maintenance of safe routes between different habitats is specifically identified as being very important to hedgehogs. The provision of safe routes between habitats could be done via gaps in fencing, tunnels or other methods.

Such measures may not be suitable for all types of site, and care needs to be taken to ensure that any benefits promised will lead to genuine and demonstrable gains for biodiversity. This is why in planning guidance we advise that planning authorities need to make sure that any evidence and rationale supplied by applicants are supported by the appropriate scientific expertise and local wildlife knowledge. Therefore, these measures are not mandatory in all developments and should be considered on case-by-case basis.