WILTSHIRE Council says it has been engaging in a number of projects in and around Westbury to improve and enhance the local environment over the past year including creating pollinator friendly areas as well as making the Bitham Brook more accessible for walkers.
The pollinator project saw patches of grass in Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Edington, Heywood and Bratton turned into pollinator friendly spaces by planting a range of wildflowers and plants to encourage pollinators and support local wildlife. The project was supported and funded by the Westbury Area Board and spearheaded by Wiltshire councillor Suzanne Wickham.
Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for environment at Wiltshire Council, said, “As a council we are committed to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030. The local environment action plan is one the key priorities adopted by the Westbury Area Board, and as such they have been involved in a number of projects in the local area.
“In partnership with the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust they have worked to identify areas within the town and parishes which could become pollinator friendly and have since been planted with wildflower seeds to encourage pollination. Area Board funding has been used alongside the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to help improve Bitham Brook to make it more accessible to dog walkers and others who want to use the space. Work has been done to improve habitats, which is now beginning to also increase the biodiversity.
“At the Westbury Community Area Environment Forum, exhibitors from local environmental groups and businesses could speak with members of the public about their projects. These included wildflower companies, local schools, an EV company, renewable energy companies, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, tree planting groups and others. Similar events are being planned in the future.”
Cllr Suzanne Wickham was the lead councillor for local environment action at the Westbury Area Board for the past year and helped get the pollinator project started in the villages. She says that the work to increase biodiversity can be attributed to the hard work of volunteers.
“I am delighted that the first year of the pollinator corridor has been a success,” she said. “Members of the community have volunteered and helped with every aspect, preparing the site, digging out weeds, planting seeds, and watering; some villages have also chosen pollinator friendly plants to add structure to the wildflower areas.
“I am grateful to everyone who has become involved and thank them for their hard work in getting this project off the ground. The wildflowers are now beginning to fade and will shortly die back and drop their seed. After a short time, the plant material will be lifted and taken away, leaving the seed in the ground to germinate next spring.”
