Hedgehog highways backed for Newbury's new builds

Future developments in the town will be asked to make provisions for hedgehogs

New builds in a market town will be asked to put in hedgehog-sized holes in fencing to support the spiny mammals.

"Hedgehog highways" are needed so hedgehogs paths are not blocked when they walk in search of food and mates.

Newbury Town Council voted unanimously to request future builds include a 13cm (5in) hole in the bottom of fencing.

It also agreed to lobby West Berkshire Council to make hedgehog friendly fencing a specific condition of planning permission for developments.

The town council also wants to encourage residents to put hedgehog highway holes in their existing fences, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Holes are cut in fences so hedgehogs do not find their paths blocked when they travel in search of food and mates

Hedgehog friendly fencing in new developments is being proposed in a national petition to the Secretary of State for Housing.

The online petition has been signed by over 1.1 million people to date.

The population of hedgehogs in rural Britain is continuing a "steep decline" according to research.

The State of Britain's Hedgehogs report found numbers are down in rural areas by between 30% and 75% since 2000.

How to make your garden hedgehog-friendly

• Make sure your garden is connected - with gaps in any fences - so hedgehogs can move between green spaces

• Leave a corner of your garden "wild"

• Check hedges and undergrowth before strimming or clipping

• Make a home for hedgehogs to hibernate

Source: BHPS