Bee Friendly Streets

Bee Friendly Streets is a resident‑led scheme that helps create more space for nature to thrive right outside your front door. By working together with their neighbours, residents can transform small patches of their street, such as tree pits, verges, kerb lines, and pavement edges, into welcoming habitats for bees and other pollinators.

Like most councils, we use a degree of chemical weed control on streets that we manage, to ensure that they remain in good condition for residents. But once a Bee Friendly Street is established, we will pause routine chemical weed control on that street. 

This allows wildflowers and other plants to grow naturally, creating valuable food sources for pollinators in areas where these are often scarce. Even the smallest patches of wildflower growth can make a big difference for local biodiversity, especially in built‑up neighbourhoods.

Bee Friendly Streets are championed by residents. These champions act as a point of contact for their street, help encourage neighbours to get involved, and support light gardening sessions. When at least five households from a street sign up, the street becomes officially recognised as a Bee Friendly Street.

Many residents are passionate about giving nature more space, which is at the heart of Bee Friendly Streets. 

To keep pavements safe and accessible for everyone, the scheme includes light, regular care such as trimming back vegetation and keeping footways and kerb lines clear. This helps us balance thriving plant life with the council’s duty to maintain safe, clean streets, and ensures the approach works well alongside other frontline services. 

We will provide guidance on pollinator‑friendly planting, and residents can apply for free hand tools to help them get started. Participants can also access seasonal activities such as wildflower seed giveaways and webinars.

Creating a Bee Friendly Street helps support pollinators, who are vital for our ecosystems and food supply, and contributes to a greener, calmer, and more cared‑for local environment. 

Many residents tell us the scheme brings neighbours together, strengthens community pride, and makes their street feel more welcoming.  

You can find out more about ways that some local residents have contributed to their Bee Friendly Street, together with other tips for encouraging pollinators, in the video recording of the 'Nature in our streets' webinar shown below:

Thank you to Phil Savoie, David Gould, Graeham Mounteney, and Raymond JC Cannon for their images used in Caroline Nash's presentation as part of the 'Nature in our Streets' webinar.

For some further insight into how residents come together on their Bee Friendly Streets to make it a better place for people and pollinators, take a look at this case study from our 'Together' campaign:

If you’d like your street to take part, or if you're interested in becoming a street champion, take a look at this document and email  beefriendlystreets@walthamforest.gov.uk. 

We’ll provide you with everything you need to get started and help your street join the growing network of Bee Friendly Streets across the borough.