Worcestershire County Council has been awarded just under £3,000 in a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant from the Natural Networks programme to create areas of wildflowers around its main site.
The funding will see large areas of wildflowers planted at various locations within the County Hall site.
To increase opportunities for wildlife and pollinators around County Hall and to show how the built environment can also benefit biodiversity, the funding will also see at least two bee posts and one bee brick installed to provide safe nesting sites for solitary bees and other pollinators.
Bees and pollinating insects aren’t the only wildlife to benefit from this funding, the project will also create a wildflower habitat which will also benefit a range of species visiting the site, including hedgehogs, birds and bats.
Pollinator-friendly
In 2015, Worcestershire County Council announced it would become a 'pollinator friendly county' to promote the protection of pollinating insects and their habitats. This new funding will bring this commitment to life at the Council's HQ site.
Declining numbers of all types of pollinators including bees and their habitats have been seen throughout the UK including Worcestershire. By making the commitment to be 'pollinator friendly', the County Council has been able to make a direct difference through the management of County Council owned land, including roadside verges.
Councillor Tony Miller, Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Environment, said “It’s brilliant news that County Hall is to become another site in Worcestershire for wildflowers to bloom and highlight our county’s natural beauty. We are happy to lead the way in supporting pollinators in the County and encourage others to do what they can too."
