Corporate & Landowner Guide
Enhancing green spaces in London where all natural pollinators can thrive, and their habitats can be enjoyed by all.
Corporate & Landowner Guide - Quick Wins
Why Corporate Sites Matter
Corporate courtyards, terraces, car parks and roof spaces represent a substantial and largely underutilised area of urban land. When designed with pollinators in mind, these spaces can become valuable habitat patches that contribute to the wider urban pollinator network. For businesses, the benefits extend well beyond ecology: biodiversity improvements support ESG commitments, contribute to staff wellbeing, strengthen community relations and increasingly satisfy planning requirements under frameworks such as Biodiversity Net Gain.
Immediate Improvements
- Replace sterile or low-value ornamental planting with pollinator-friendly species – choose native species or well-evidenced non-natives with good nectar and pollen. Avoid double-flowered cultivars.
- Reduce mowing frequency and raise cutting height – cut amenity grass areas no more than once every four to six weeks during the growing season, and raise the cutting height to at least 7–10cm. Mowing height is as important as mowing frequency: close-cutting eliminates flowering plants even when mowing is infrequent.
- Introduce planters and containers with mixed pollinator-friendly plants – position in sunny locations and choose plants with a long combined flowering season
- Add nesting opportunities – a bee hotel in a sheltered, south-facing position can support cavity-nesting solitary bees such as red mason bees and leafcutter bees. Equally important are bare soil patches and undisturbed ground, which support the ground-nesting majority of UK bee species.
- Create or improve green roof areas – where roofs are being refurbished or specified, upgrade from standard sedum monocultures to biodiverse mixes with varied substrate depths and native wildflowers. Even adding wildflower plugs or seed to existing extensive roofs can significantly increase their ecological value.
Medium-Term Projects
- Transform unused corners, margins and low-footfall areas into wildflower zones – prepare soil correctly (reduce fertility if needed) and use native UK wildflower seed mixes
- Install rain gardens or bioswales to support moisture-loving plants and improve surface water management simultaneously
- Create pocket meadows in larger open areas – these require initial investment in soil preparation and seeding but become lower maintenance and higher ecological value than mown grass within two to three years
- Connect green spaces on and around the site via pollinator pathways – work with neighbouring landowners and the local council to extend habitat connectivity beyond the site boundary
- Develop a site biodiversity management plan that documents current ecological value, sets targets and records progress over time. This is increasingly expected as part of ESG reporting and may be required under Biodiversity Net Gain obligations.
Benefits for Businesses
- Supports and evidences ESG and sustainability commitments with measurable outcomes
- Boosts staff wellbeing – access to green spaces and nature is associated with reduced stress, improved concentration and greater job satisfaction
- Improves local biodiversity and contributes to the urban pollinator network
- Generates positive CSR and communications content
- Contributes to Biodiversity Net Gain compliance where required by planning conditions
- Demonstrates environmental leadership to clients, investors and prospective employees