Planting of new wildflower meadows complete

12 May 2025

Groundworks taking place ahead of wildflowers being planted

The groundwork to create 15 new wildflower meadows in Wirral has now been completed - in time to attract an increasing number of pollinators to the borough over the summer.

More than 73,000 square metres of public open space in the borough has been planted with native wildflowers in a project which supports the local response to the Climate Emergency and the council’s Pollinator Strategy.

The wildflower meadows have been created on land which had already been designated as ‘rewilding areas’ and were identified after field surveys at each location that providing an understanding of the plant and animal life currently present. The sites selected are ones where other important plants are least likely to be impacted from the planting of the wildflowers.

Soil testing was carried out to identify the types of native wildflowers that would do best at each location and management plans for each site have been developed setting out the design for each location, the methods to be used to create viable pollinator areas and the future management approach.

Now, it’s a waiting game to see the flowers grow and the meadows develop over the coming weeks and months. But similar planting last year demonstrated that not only are these sites attractive to pollinators, they are also very attractive just to look at. With the addition of the 15 new sites this year, Wirral now has around 80 designated pollinator areas.

Important insect pollinator species have experienced national decline in recent times, with more than half of the country’s 27 bumblebee species in decline and three having already become extinct. Two-thirds of moths are in long-term decline along with 71% of butterflies. Some studies have shown that since 1970, pollinating insects may have declined by as much as a quarter.

Wildflowers encourage native butterflies and other important species. Creating more pollinator sites is an important approach to protecting the future of some species, particularly the orange-tipped butterfly.
Signs will be displayed to inform residents and visitors that these areas are being managed as wildflower meadows to encourage and support bees, butterflies and other pollinator insects.

Cllr Liz Grey, Chair of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee

The 15 areas where wildflower meadows are being created - and the electoral wards they are in - are:-