In the past decade Bee populations in the UK have declined by roughly one third, and many species have become endangered with some even becoming extinct.
Bees and other pollinators play an essential role in our ecosystem and our food production. 80% of UK crops rely on pollinators to grow and yield. Bee populations have declined for a number of reasons. Habitat loss, climate changes and the use of pesticides have all had a damaging effect.
Improving local green spaces to encourage bees and insects to flourish has been a long-standing campaign in local government. Many councils have taken steps to reduce pesticide use, plant more pollen-rich flowers and let more spaces grow wild. There have been a number of very successful local Liberal Democrat campaigns to help bees.
Here are some great examples of Lib Dem bee campaigns:
- Lincoln Bee Friendly Bus Shelters
- Gloucester Bee Helpful Council Motion
- Bedford’s Bugs and Bees Project
However there is always more than can be done – and some councils / communities are further ahead than others when it comes to making the simple interventions required to help bees and pollinators.
This is a good campaign that everyone can run in your ward, division and parish. There are a number of simple steps you can take such as:
- Organise areas for wildflower and pollen rich flower and shrub planting.
- Agree with your council for ‘no mow’ strips of grassed land to be left to grow wild
- Procure green-roof bus shelters and install green roofs on public buildings
- Work with the council to reduce the use of chemical weed-killers such as glyphosate and derivatives on green spaces
- Engage with the planning process to recommend these measures where appropriate in planning applications
- Work with community groups and local schools to improve private land for bees
- Promote bee-friendly actions for residents – such as planting more flowers, mowing their lawn less often and not using weedkillers
These are just some examples of many. But as you can see many of these steps are very simple to achieve and all ward / parish councillors will be able to arrange for such steps with local stakeholders and council maintenance teams. Arrange a meeting with local stakeholders, and your councils grounds maintenance team to see what can be done in your ward and report back.
There are also well-known annual initiatives you can promote in your communications – such as World Bee Day, No Mow May and Bees Needs Week ( which is 14-20 July in 2025). These are great opportunities to email residents or post on social media.
ALDC has created some template resources to help you promote and celebrate bee-friendly activities in your community. There is also a template Council Motion you can move to make this a priority for your borough.
- Council Motion
- A3 Focus Drop Ins – Affinity – PDF
- A4 Focus Drop Ins – Affinity – PDF
- Social Media Graphics – Affinity – JPEGS
- Template Press Release – Pre Motion – Post Motion