The NWC has been coordinating the huge task of gathering, cleaning, sowing, growing and harvesting enough annual and perennial wildflower seed to plant across the four miles of the link road that is currently being built between the A30 and St Austell. Having been planted in the autumn, it is hoped that, come this spring, the 45 acres of banks and verges will be bursting with colour, creating a corridor of wildflower, woodland and heathland habitats to connect local wildlife with the wider landscape, while helping to increase biodiversity. There are also set to be new routes for cycling, walking and horse-riding on 5.5 miles of newly-built paths.

This is something the NWC has been working on, in partnership with civil engineering consultancy Griffiths, Cornwall Council and other stakeholders, to develop a pioneering landscaping strategy. 

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The NWC and Wildflower Warriors have built a network of seed donors comprising local farmers, agricultural contractors and environmental community groups, in order to make the planting project a reality. The establishment of the wildflower corridor is one of many National Wildflower Centre projects dotted around the UK. 

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Stephanie Knights, NWC project manager, said: “We want to ensure the new road is as natural and biodiverse as a road can be, featuring an abundance of wildflowers that are typical of the Cornish countryside.

“Producing enough seed for such a large area has been a mammoth task and we’ve seen some great teamwork involving our volunteers from the local community, local landowners, and the partners involved in the building of the road.

“You are going to get lots of vibrant colours of annual wildflowers – yellow, blue, white, red in the first year and in the second year the colours will be more subtle as the perennial wildflowers start to establish.”

Annual wildflowers will act as a nursery crop which will help establish the perennial species typically seen in Cornish hedgerows and on the coast path, including red campion, wild carrot, ox-eye daisy and devil’s-bit scabious.

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Stephanie added: “We are bringing vibrance and colour into communities but we are also educating people about the important wildflower habitat that has declined massively since World War Two in the UK.

“We have actually lost 97% of our wildflower habitats since then so we are trying to bring them back from the brink.

“Establishing a team of enthusiastic volunteers from the local community willing to give their time and energy to the road project has massively contributed to the successful harvest.

“The activity has also proven to have had an unexpected yet very positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, especially emerging from the negative effects of the global pandemic.”

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The St Austell to A30 link road is a new route that will connect the old A30 near Victoria to the north to the A391 at Stenalees roundabout to the south.

Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of this construction project, and I would like to thank the volunteers and the team at the National Wildflower Centre for their dedication in bringing this particular element to fruition.

“As well as supporting local biodiversity, this new route will not only take through traffic - in particular heavy goods vehicles - away from clay country communities and the front doors of homes lining the route, but also provide a network of walking and cycle routes to give residents car-free options for how they travel short distances and explore the local area.”

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Mike Andrew, Griffiths project manager, said: “Griffiths is delighted to collaborate with the Eden Project National Wildflower Centre on this transformative construction scheme. Their commitment to sustainability and community aligns perfectly with our vision for this project. Together, we’re not only building structures. We are creating spaces that have a lasting positive impact on the environment and future generations.”

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The long-term aim with the wildflower project is that it will deliver verifiable biodiversity gain over decades and is created with the local community.

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To find out more about the National Wildflower Centre at the Eden Project, visit www.edenproject.com.

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