To bee, or not to bee (brick)?
— 11 October 2022 by Orpheas Zoupanos Posted in: Surveying
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Update your browser!— 11 October 2022 by Orpheas Zoupanos Posted in: Surveying
Bee Bricks - concrete bricks in which solitary bees can nest and hibernate - became mandatory for certain new builds in Brighton & Hove in April 2020*.
The Duchy of Cornwall (formerly managed by King Charles and recently inherited by Prince William) took the lead, spending a sizeable £55,000 on 2,000 bricks on a new development in Newquay, Cornwall.
I know what you’re thinking: "Whatever next!" Or maybe: "What a great idea!".
There are many things which split the population 50/50 - Brexit? Marmite? - while some people couldn't care less. We’re all entitled to an opinion.
A recent Guardian article covered many of the pros and cons, with explanations from experts. The issue, well put by a beekeeper, is this: “There’s a well-known saying in the beekeeping world that if you ask 100 different beekeepers a question, then you get 101 different answers". I’m sure the same applies in the construction industry, to some extent.
The fact is: bees are in decline, and according to Einstein, "If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live." I personally wouldn't question anything Einstein said.
A third of the world's food production depends on bees and other pollinators, yet approximately one in ten bee species in Europe is facing extinction.
It’s highly unlikely that anyone would disagree that bees proliferating is a bad thing. But are Bee Bricks the right way to go about it?
Well, here’s a Surveyor's view:
There are many other benefits, and just as many notes of caution, but no definitive answers as yet. Only time will tell whether Bee Bricks are the ideal solution to our waning bee population.
For now, Brighton & Hove Council and The Duchy of Cornwall seem prepared to take the risk on behalf of the bees. As a Surveyor, I think they should be commended for trying.
What do you think?
NB: For any geeks like me, the relevant planning conditions can be found in the Policy CP10 of the Brighton & Hove City Plan Part One and Supplementary Planning Document SPD11 Nature Conservation and Development