There is a lot of exciting regeneration happening in Derby at the moment. From the new ‘Condor’ apartments replacing the old Debenhams store on Victoria Street, and the Derbion shopping centre welcoming big brands such as Whistles, Jack Wills, Boux Avenue and Frasers, to the launch of the Derby Riverboat cruises, but have you noticed the new bus shelters that have appeared on Derby’s streets? Unless you travel by bus you might not have spotted them, but they’re a big part of a new initiative to make Derby greener – and we love it!
Back in March, it was announced that over the next 12 months the city’s bus stops were being replaced with new, eco-friendly shelters as part of the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan.
Working in partnership with Clear Channel, the council aims to transform 90 bus shelters around the city, upgrading them to newer eco-models, helping to benefit the environment in the city and boost biodiversity. In fact, one of them is just down the road from our office so the team get to pass it on their morning commute – a great way to start the day and get us in the eco mindset!
The bus stops, topped with beneficial flowers and plants, are just a few of 45 planned bus shelters to feature a living roof and are aptly nicknamed ‘Bee Bus Stops.’ Each bus stop is planted with a mixture of wildflowers and sedum plants, which are ideal food sources and habitats for a variety of pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies. Insect numbers have been on the decline for several years, and it is reported that since 1970 there has been a loss of more than 50% of insects so this initiative is one of Derby’s ways of doing our bit!
Wildlife Trusts across the country have also joined in partnership with Clear Channel to bring more Living Roof’s to streets across the UK in a bid to help save wildlife in towns and cities, as well as bringing people closer to nature. The Wildlife Trusts have carefully assessed the Living Roof’s for their biodiversity credentials and have been classified as having ‘High Strategic Significance.’
These installations are just one of the ways that Derby City Council is giving back to nature and helping make our city greener, having recently also announced its plants to rewild Allestree Park . The 320-acre park, previously a golf course, is working with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the University of Derby on rewilding the park, providing wildlife rich habitats, whilst helping to fight the effects of climate change. We can’t wait to see it happen!
Here at Honest, we are passionate about the environment and giving back to nature in any way we can, which is reflected in the company that we keep. We are proud that many of our clients have strong sustainability credentials from elho to Clean Living, not to mention Vivara and Seedball, two brands leading the way in caring for wildlife and biodiversity, encouraging each and every one of us to protect the wildlife around us in any way we can.
It’s really encouraging to see how much the city’s council is putting in place to make Derby a greener place and reverse the effects of climate change and we look forward to seeing more greener spaces within the city unfold!
