Bird and bee boxes are creating a buzz at Stalbridge development
12 Sep 2023

Sustainable bird and bee boxes are being given to customers at a new housing development at Blackmore Meadows, to help the local wildlife population in Stalbridge.

The boxes include a bee hotel, wildflower seeds, a handmade triple bird feeder, suet nuggets and a plantable new homes card.

Bovis Homes’ sales consultant Amber Luxton said: “The new bird and bee boxes are a lovely addition to customers’ welcome packs and it’s great to do more to help the local flora and fauna.

“We’ve also been supporting hedgehogs by installing hedgehog highways to enable them to roam easily in order to find food, mates and shelter. And in the open space area, 7,264 shrubs have been planted; 181 trees; 16,252m2 of seeding grass, including the wildflower areas; and 1,600 bulbs.”

Residents, Mike and Jan, commented: “It’s been amazing to see the local wildlife at the development. We’ve captured plenty of hedgehogs on our wildlife night camera; watched deer by the path and attenuation pond; and seen blue tits, gold finches and woodpeckers in our garden. There’s also a beautiful barn owl that flies past around 6.30pm in the evening, which is wonderful to see.”

In the last 18 months the couple has also reported seeing: pheasants, rabbits, wagtails, robins, sparrows, pigeons, crows, fox, frog, toad and cows.

Blackmore Meadows is a development of 120 new three and four bedroom properties and includes a play area, green open space, an attenuation pond planted with wildflowers, and a circular path for cycling and walking – with connections to the existing public network.

Nestled in a pretty rural location off Lower Road – overlooking the countryside – the development is in the Blackmore Vale area of North Dorset, under a mile from the town centre with its shops, pubs, sports clubs and a school.

Something that’s not seen every day on a new build development is the use of thatch and Blackmore Meadows showcases two thatched homes, as well as local stone.

While the design blends in beautifully to the surrounding area, the development stands out for the quality of its build. For the third consecutive year, senior site manager Gary French has won an NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award for building homes of exceptional quality at the development, and he was even crowned the coveted Regional Winner last year.