Wildflower meadow planted on busy town roundabout

A busy roundabout in Swindon will soon get a splash of colour after wildflower seeds were planted on in it.

Greenbridge roundabout, which is one of the town's busiest, has been cleared of trees in preparation for the meadow.

Swindon Borough Council says it hopes the flowers will increase the town's biodiversity while decreasing maintenance costs.

"Wildflowers are a brilliant way to encourage pollinators and local wildlife," said councillor Chris Watts.

"We are really keen we make the most of any opportunities we have to promote biodiversity in line with our mission to build a greener Swindon," Mr Watts added.

"This wildflower meadow will create an amazing display of colour creating a landmark junction for local residents and visitors to enjoy."

Trees which were previously planted on the roundabout failed to flourish due to poor soil quality and so have been removed.

The council says it hopes to replant some trees once the soil quality improves.

"Anyone who has driven around Greenbridge roundabout will have seen the sad state of the silver birch trees," Mr Watts said. "We have taken the pragmatic step of using ring-fenced biodiversity funding from developers to breathe new life into a failed scheme."

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