Warwickshire Wildlife Trust have been holding ‘Green conversations' across Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull throughout 2024 and 2025 and have organised three of these conversations with the communities in Nuneaton. 

The theme for the third ‘Green Conversation’ was “Shaping a Nature-Friendly Future for Nuneaton’s Housing Developments” which grew from previous conversations and feedback from the community. 

Housing developments encroaching on green spaces was the main concern to emerge from the Community Organiser’s door-knocking and listening activities. Local people are concerned about the negative impact  new developments are having on wildlife and the environment. As Nuneaton continues to grow, new housing developments are changing the landscape of the town. Residents understand growth and development are necessary, and they also present us with an opportunity to make a difference and create positive change. 

Dominic Taylor, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Action for Nature Manager, explains the thinking behind this meeting:

“We wanted to use this opportunity to consider how we can ensure new homes are built in harmony with nature, benefiting people, community, and wildlife. At our Nuneaton Green Conversations 3 Forum, we brought together residents, campaigners, and experts to explore how we can work towards Nature-Friendly Housing Developments. Where green spaces, wildlife corridors, and biodiversity are not afterthoughts, but are built into the very fabric of our communities.”

The meeting took place at Nuneaton Heritage Centre and was attended by 18 local people, including Councillors and residents. The idea was for local people to commit to specific tasks and build their own action-plans to take away with them. So, instead of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust leading the community, the community are leading this campaign. 

Following presentations from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s Campaigns Officer, Planning and Biodiversity Officer and Community Organising team, Trust staff helped facilitate discussion groups focusing on three important questions:

1. How do we help to organise more residents getting involved with the campaign for nature friendly housing?
2. How do we use our collective voice to engage and influence key decision makers?
3. How can we influence and shape better planning decisions for wildlife? 

There was no shortage of ideas for action! Some residents resolved to contact developers and Councils to build key relationships and to identify active roles for community members.  

Other ideas were to set up a workshop in planning, raise awareness of Neighbourhood Plans, establish a community notice board, create a seed library, use Craftivism as a vehicle for campaigning and encourage developers to include bat boxes and hedgehog highways at their current and new sites.   

Already, local volunteers, Attleborough Wildlife Watchers, are monitoring, surveying and reporting wildlife sightings to Warwickshire Biological Records Centre to build vital data for the area, which can then be used to support their cause and help protect important wildlife, such as endangered water voles, which are spotted regularly on Wem Brook. 

So what was the most important message to come out of these meetings? Don’t leave it to someone else!