Wildflowers will be planted along this Portsmouth road to boost biodiversity

This week councillors voted unanimously in favour of Portsmouth's first 'pollinator friendly corridor', which will see wildflower seeds sown along grass verges at the north end of Copnor Road.

At a council cabinet meeting members favoured the project that will be trialled for 12 months.

Councillor Lynne Stagg made some suggestions. She said: 'What about getting people from community groups to run some of the planting schemes?

'And with wildflowers you can plant different species you get different flowering periods. So can extend the flowering season.'

The flowers and grass would be allowed to grow tall rather than being mown and would be reseeded regularly.

If successful similar projects will be considered for other roadside verges in the city.

At the same meeting councillors agreed to continue the authority's 'greening the city' project that resulted in around 56,000 trees being planted last year.

For the next stage of the scheme more trees for residential streets will be considered.

Speaking at the meeting Cllr Rob Wood, who represents St Thomas ward, said: 'I've had a lot of demand from residents who don't have a chance to plant a tree in as they live in an area where you can't.

'Is there a way we could do some tub planting? Residents are keen to get involved.'