Working together to create a new bee-friendly ‘pocket park’ in Chesterfield

Community-spirited residents have pulled together to create a new bee-friendly ‘pocket park’.
By Julia Rodgerson
Published 14th Jun 2021, 14:25 BST
Updated 14th Jun 2021, 14:28 BST
Cllr Jill Mannion-Brunt with Chris Turner, Chair of the Chesterfield In Bloom CommitteeCllr Jill Mannion-Brunt with Chris Turner, Chair of the Chesterfield In Bloom Committee
Cllr Jill Mannion-Brunt with Chris Turner, Chair of the Chesterfield In Bloom Committee

The new space at Edinburgh Road Park features a number of raised beds that have been planted with wildflowers and plants to support pollinators like bees, new paving, 15,000 spring flowering bulbs and local urban artist Peter Barber has created a wall mural that celebrates nature behind the raised beds.

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt said: “I had a great time getting stuck in and helping out at one of the planting sessions. The pocket park is a fantastic space for the local community and offers something unique for them to enjoy. We also had a wonderful array of daffodils in the spring thanks to the efforts of the group and the children who enjoyed planting in the mud!”

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More improvements are planned, and volunteers are still welcome to get involved.

The first phase of improvements, including the raised beds and paving, were completed during the first lockdown in late spring 2020, closely followed by a socially distanced bulb planting in the autumn of 2020. In the autumn the group will complete the project with the planting of 40 trees in the same area as the bulbs and local people are still welcome to volunteer and get involved.