The difference drivers may notice this summer as city wildlife project gets under way

The city council has said there will be a change to the frequency of mowing on around 100km of central reservations as part of its A to Bee Roads scheme.

The authority previously said the project would cover 51 wards in the city and would support nature recovery, as well as combat climate change.

Councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, released a video on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday and explained how the initiative would benefit the city during the 2024 mowing season.

“We are calling this project A to Bee Roads and it is a great scheme with the aim to increase biodiversity, reduce the council’s carbon footprint and help mitigate elements of climate change,” he said.

“If the project proves to be successful, we will seek to plant wildflowers on most, if not all, of our central reservations.”

He said reservations were home to pollinator plants, which were attractive to bees and would help address population numbers while also bringing about a “burst of colour” across the city.

The council said edges would be trimmed to maintain road safety and there would be signs showing where the programme was being implemented in Birmingham.

“Our network of grass and tree-lined central reservations act as corridors for the movement of wildlife, connecting parks and open spaces together, often through more built-up areas,” the council’s website states.

Turning its attention to the city’s parks, it continued: “In our parks we will be identifying areas that would benefit from changes in mowing regime or can be enhanced through planting of wildflowers and spring bulbs – these will be part of Birmingham’s Buzzing Parks.

“The Buzzing Parks will initially focus on enhancing parks in those wards without existing designated nature conservation sites within them.”

Report by Local Democracy Reporter Alexander Brock