10 Jul Basildon Council takes giant step in bringing back pollinators to the borough
Basildon Council has sown approximately 10,000 square meters with wildflower seeds across roundabouts, parks and open spaces around the borough in a bid to support native flora and fauna.
The pollinator project started in March in a bold attempt to increase wildflower meadows locally.
Around 97 per cent of the country’s wildflowers have been lost in the previous 60 years.
The council decided to challenge that locally with an ambitious plan of action to create corridors for insects to feed and spread pollen between wildflowers and plants.
In turn the plan is designed to help boost ecosystems that support a wide variety of plant and animal life and support local ecosystems to flourish.
Starting in September last year Basildon Council set up a fund of more than £50,000 in an effort to boost the local bee population and protect the environment.
Councillors adopted a borough-wide three year long ‘Pollinator Action Plan’, in response to numbing warnings about declining bee populations.
Chairman of the Neighbourhoods and Public Spaces Committee, Councillor David Harrison said:
“England has always been a country of wildflower meadows—and all of our iconic wildlife and plants help make us unique.
“We live in a green borough and we want to keep it.
“So we have sown wild flower seeds in a massive amount of space that the council maintains.
“We have also planted over 100 trees creating new orchards in the borough.
“Alongside this we have trialled relaxed maintenance on some of the main routes in the town to encourage wildflowers and provide spots that make up corridors for pollinators.
“All of these works are increasing pollination and improving biodiversity within the borough.”
