City plans mini-gardens for bees on bus stop roofs

A city could become the latest in the UK to debut "bee bus stops" that aim to boost biodiversity in urban areas.

Peterborough City Council said 34 bus stops could include Living Roofs - mini-gardens planted on top of bus shelters made up of wildflowers and other vegetation.

The initiative was included in its new plan for the city's bus stops, which will also see "comfortable seating" replace existing perch seats, according to a report by the authority.

Other planned changes included providing up-to-date passenger information and installing digital advertising screens at most bus stops.

The council has been considering awarding a new contract to Bauer Media Outdoor UK to manage the city's bus stops.

The agreement would include the company providing the council with an annual income of £140,000 from the sale of advertising space, plus 2.5% of its quarterly gross revenue.

The contract, which would run for a minimum of 10 years with opportunities to extend, could provide the authority with £2.8m over 20 years.

Bauer currently maintains Peterborough's bus shelters, providing repairs and removing graffiti, but does not provide the council with additional money from advertising.

The council said the new digital screens would use energy efficient LEDs and would be switched off between midnight and 05:00 to save power.

The company would also be permitted to promote its own campaigns without charge.

A Peterborough City Council report said Living Roofs would be installed at all suitable locations, in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust.

Bauer said the roofs would be made from recycled and upcycled materials and "support native biodiversity by providing green havens for bees and other pollinators".

There are more than 350 Living Roofs across the UK, including in Birmingham, Glasgow and Northampton.

The company said the mini-gardens help absorb rainwater and "enhance the aesthetic appeal" of bus stops, while only requiring about two maintenance visits per year.

Peterborough City Council's cabinet will be asked to approve the next steps towards signing the new contract on Tuesday.

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