A journey along either of the two main routes through Bradley Stoke could become a colourful experience this summer if a plan to significantly expand the number of roadside wildflower meadows comes to fruition.
Wildflower strips totalling around 150m in length were created along Brook Way (either side of the Saxon Way junction) in 2018 and have resulted in much-appreciated displays of blooms in the last two summers.
The latest scheme will see wildflower strips created along a 200m-long section of grassland alongside Bradley Stoke Way, in front of homes in Champs Sur Marne (just south of the leisure centre). The existing wildflower strips along Brook Way are also being extended southwards by around 150m, almost as far as Merryweather Close.
The meadows will consist of colourful perennial flowers such as oxeye daisy, knapweed, birdsfoot trefoil, cowslips and buttercups. There will also be some annual plants sown to give an even more colourful display in the first couple of years. They will be cut in late summer and the grass removed, to encourage more wild flowers to grow.
A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said:
“We are committed to improving biodiversity and managing our land in a way that supports habitats and connectivity for wildlife and pollinators and helps to make our communities attractive and pleasant places for our residents. Over the last few years we have carried out trials to adopt a more natural approach to our verge management which supports the flora and fauna while also ensuring visibility at road junctions is maintained and safe for road users.”
• To comment as the meadows develop, email communityspaces@southglos.gov.uk
This article originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 3). The magazine is delivered FREE, nine times a year, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
