RugBEE - we're pollinator friendly

Bees and other pollinators play an essential role in our environment, our economy and boosting bio-diversity.

RugBEE Pollinator Friendly

We have thousands of pollinator species in the UK, including bumblebees, beetles, moths and butterflies, but populations remain under threat from loss of habitats and climate change.

Rugby Borough Council has adopted a Pollinator Friendly Policy to increase the number of grass meadows across the borough. The policy supports the Government's National Pollinator Strategy and our commitment to tackle climate change.

The policy aims to:

  • make Rugby a bee-friendly borough
  • create suitable habitats for pollinators in every council ward while improving connectivity between habitats
  • boost biodiversity across the borough
  • reduce the borough's carbon footprint

By creating grass meadows, we can increase the number of plant species in the borough, developing new habitats to support pollinating insects.

Grass meadows also support other wildlife, including birds, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals, such as field mice and voles.

And leaving grass to grow boosts the soil's ability to capture carbon - protecting and enhancing our environment.

How you can BEE a pollinator friend

You can play a part in helping to make Rugby pollinator friendly.

Here's five simple steps you can take:

1. Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees - we need more plants rich in pollen and nectar, feeding pollinators throughout the year.

2. Let it grow - leave patches of garden to grow wild, creating food sources and breeding places for butterflies and moths.

3. Slow mow - cut grass less often and remove the cuttings to allow plants to flower.

4. Do not disturb - insects nest and hibernate in grass margins, bare soil, hedgerows, trees, dead wood and walls. Do not disturb or destroy nesting and hibernation spots.

5. Pause before using pesticides - consider alternative measures before using pesticides, particularly near active pollinators or flowering plants.

You can find out more about BEEcoming a pollinator friend from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

Visit the Bumblebee Conservation Trust website

Bees


Rugby Borough Council undertakes routine grounds maintenance operations such as grass cutting, shrub bed maintenance and hedge cutting.

In respect of grass cutting, we operate the following range of mowing regimes depending on the location:

  • Grasslands: mowing of open spaces, sports pitches and recreation grounds - frequencies vary depending on use. It can take four to five weeks to mow all grasslands in the borough
  • Cemeteries: cut 13 times each mowing season
  • Verges: cut 13 times each mowing season
  • Housing amenity areas: cut 13 times each mowing season
  • Town centre areas: cut 13 times each mowing season

Our mowing regimes aim to manage our habitats to support a variety of flora, animals and pollinator-friendly insects.

Bulbs


We leave grasslands where flowering bulbs have been naturalised unmown for a minimum period of six weeks after flowering.

Leaving time for the bulb foliage to sufficiently die back means the bulbs retain the maximum amount of nutrients, helping to ensuring flowering in future years.

Admirals and Cawston

Grassland urban meadows

  • Addison Road Recreation Ground (part of)
  • Apple Grove Open Space
  • Cawston Open Space
  • Cave Close
  • Cornwallis Open Space

Benn

Wildflower meadow and grassland urban meadow

  • Caldecott Park
  • Chestnut Fields

Wildflower meadow

  • Millennium Green
  • New development on former cattle market site

Grassland urban meadow

  • Sun Street

Bilton

Wildflower meadow and grassland urban meadow

  • Bilton Green

Wildflower meadow

  • Assheton Recreation Ground

Coton and Boughton

Grassland urban meadow

  • Avon Park
  • Brooklime Drive
  • Coton Park
  • Criss Cross Park
  • Sorrel Drive
  • Stone Circles

Dunsmore

Wildflower meadow and grassland urban meadow

  • The Heath, Dunchurch

Eastlands

Wildflower meadow and grassland urban meadow

  • St Andrew's Gardens/Trinity Churchyard
  • Whitehall Recreation Ground (including land rear of Haswell Close and land rear of Rugby Athletics Track)

Wildflower meadow

  • The Pleasance Herb Garden

Grassland urban meadow

  • Clifton Road Cemetery
  • East Union Street
  • Great Central Walk
  • Linnell (part of)
  • Rokeby Recreation Ground (part of)
  • Whinfield Woods

Hillmorton

Wildflower meadow and grassland urban meadow

  • Hillmorton Green
  • Hillmorton Recreation Ground

Grassland urban meadow

  • Brindley Road
  • Coton Road
  • Watts Lane Cemetery

New Bilton

Wildflower meadow

  • Gladstone Green

Grassland urban meadow

  • Addison Road Recreation Ground (part of)
  • Freemantle Recreation Ground (part of)
  • Jubilee Street Recreation Ground
  • New Bilton Recreation Ground
  • Pavilions

Newbold and Brownsover

Wildflower meadow and grassland urban meadow

  • Centenary Park

Grassland urban meadow

  • Avon Mill Recreation Ground
  • Boughton Road Recreation Ground
  • Crowthorns
  • Hollowell Way open space
  • Lea Crescent open space
  • Newbold Quarry Nature Reserve
  • Pantolf Place
  • River Avon
  • Swift Valley (part of)
  • Yates Avenue spinney
  • Rugby Viaduct Cycleway

Paddox

Grassland urban meadow

  • Diamond Wood
  • Great Central Walk
  • Linnell Road open space/Bluebell Woods
  • Rainsbrook Crematorium

Rokeby and Overslade

Grassland urban meadow

  • Burnside open space
  • Buchanan Road
  • Rokeby Play Area (part of)