Bus stops for bees? How Leicester is boosting biodiversity
New 'bee friendly' bus stops are being introduced in Leicester.
The first of a kind 'Living Roof' shelters, which are topped with plans and greenery, are designed to boost biodiversity.
It's part of a new programme to replace and revamp the city's 479 bus shelters.
Leicester City Council has now begun a new 10-year contract with Clear Channel UK to replace and manage the shelters.
The company has promised to make a multi-million-pound investment into making every bus stop in Leicester more eco friendly - with no cost to the city council.
The so called 'Bee Bus Stops' have started to spring up around the city in recent weeks.
There are now around around twelve in the city - including Charles Street, London Road, Melton Road, Narborough Road, Uppingham Road ad Bennion Road.
Each roof is planted with a mix of wildflowers and Sedum plants to encourage the growth of bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects, and add some extra greenery to the city.
The programme is also fitting bus stops with solar panels and smart lighting to cut energy use.
Deputy City Mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “This is just one of many benefits of the citywide revamp of our bus shelters. The new, modern shelters will be great for passengers and the mix of solar power and living roofs is another step forward for our ambition to be a carbon neutral, biodiverse and climate-adapted city by 2030. The new shelters will also be a perfect complement to our work to deliver a new, carbon neutral bus station at St Margaret’s.”
The new bus stops will help enhance Leicester’s ongoing 'Bee Roads' programme.
Around three and a half miles of roadside and roundabouts across the city have been planted with wildflowers to help make the city a haven for pollinators by providing food stops for them to re-fuel on their way to larger parks and nature reserves.
Work to complete the 30 living roof shelters is expected to be completed by summer, work to revamp all of the city's bus stops is expected to last until late 2022.
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