B-Lines is a landscape scale initiative to enhance declining pollinator populations by connecting up the best remaining wildflower-rich habitats through the creation or restoration of wildflower habitats. This partnership project aims to identify 3km corridors within which wildflower habitat restoration and creation can be focused and co-ordinated to maximise gains for pollinators across the UK. The B-lines network for the East of England region has now been finalised and is available to our partner organisations as part of our data provision service.

B-Lines was identified as a method to reverse pollinator declines in the National Pollinator Strategy's Implementation Plan, by aiding their movement across the fragmented landscape. Where relevant, planning applications in or around B-Lines should consider what they can contribute to the growing resources of pollinators in B-Lines. This will help to ensure that mitigation proposals align with ongoing work in the surrounding area for pollinators. It is important to note, however, that any planning applications should seek to protect and enhance the wildlife interests of all taxonomic groups and habitats, not pollinators and their requirements in isolation.

Essex Wildlife Trust has been working with Buglife, the invertebrate conservation charity to identify and map these corridors in Essex. For more information on the B-lines project please click here.