The Dutch House of Representatives decided not to remove the requirement for bird nesting provisions in new construction projects from the new Building Decree Living Environment (BLL). This proposal from GroenLinks-PvdA MP De Hoop was narrowly passed by one vote.
This decision opposes Housing Minister Keijzer’s plans, who recently announced that she sees no need for mandatory nesting boxes for house sparrows, bats, and swifts, calling them unnecessary regulations that slow down housing construction. This decision faced criticism from nature organizations and the construction sector, arguing that installing nests is straightforward, inexpensive, and does not delay building processes.
De Hoop’s motion received support from D66, CDA, SP, ChristenUnie, Party for the Animals, and coalition party NSC. Last week’s tie in votes led to another vote today, resulting in 71 votes for and 70 against the motion.
The Parliament emphasizes that nesting facilities are crucial to combat the decline of biodiversity in urban areas. Including them in the Building Decree would standardize regulations and production, reducing costs.
Since it is a motion, Minister Keijzer can still disregard it. She expressed strong disagreement and surprise at the support from coalition partner NSC, pointing out that reducing unnecessary construction regulations is part of the coalition agreement.
Source: NOS