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New and enhanced wildflower habitats will support insects, birds, and small mammals to thrive, helping make the Borough’s green spaces richer in nature for everyone to enjoy. These areas form part of the green corridor helping wildlife move around and supporting local nature recovery.

With 692,000m² of wildflower meadows already established – an area equivalent to 64 football pitches – the Council is sowing new meadows, overseeding existing ones and changing its meadow management to enhance a total of 47,249m² of land this season, that's around seven football pitches. This will boost biodiversity giving wildlife places to shelter and discover new food sources and these areas will put on a colourful show next year.

Councillor Carolyn Healy, Telford & Wrekin Council Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning and Sustainability said:

“These meadows are more than just beautiful spaces – they’re lifelines for wildlife. On a summer’s day, one acre of wildflower meadow can contain up to three million flowers, producing a kilogram of nectar, enough to support 96,000 honeybees.

“By expanding and improving these habitats, we’re helping pollinators, birds and small mammals thrive, while also creating greener, more resilient spaces for our communities to enjoy.”

Wildflower areas are managed to allow plants to flower and set seed, supporting species such as butterflies, moths, hoverflies, beetles, mice, voles, shrews, frogs, toads, newts and a wide range of birds. Mowing at the end of the season helps spread seeds and ensures the habitats – found along verges, in nature reserves and parks – flourish year after year.

The Council is working with partners including Buglife, the national insect charity, which is sponsoring £3,000 worth of seeding and cultivation and Fujitsu which has pledged £1,000 for wildflower seed.

The Friends volunteer groups are also helping manage sites and collect seed for redistribution.

Seeding is taking place in parks including Bowring, Hartshill and Dale End. Other projects include new planting in Dawley Park, and community-led sowing of Yellow Rattle in Leegomery, supported by the Friends of Hurley Brook.

Marion Versluijs, is one of the volunteers and said:

“The Friends are keen to make the woodland along the Hurley Brook more attractive to wildlife.

“We have been planting Yellow Rattle which keeps grass in check, so wildflowers can thrive which in turn supports insects, birds and bats.

“We are working in partnership with the Council which has supplied the seeds and we hope to see this patch of grass become a beautiful wildflower meadow next spring.”

Seed mixes are tailored to suit different conditions. Sunny sites are planted with species like Red Clover, Field Scabious and Yellow Rattle, while shaded areas feature Foxglove, Campion and Oxeye Daisy.

This work is part of the Council’s wider commitment to protect, care and invest to create a better Borough.