Derby cemetery to be transformed by 10,000 flowers with Environment Agency project
The collaborative planting effort will be led by a local community project and volunteers this November
A Derby cemetery is set to be transformed by thousands of blooms as part of council and Environment Agency plans over the coming months.
Nottingham Road Cemetery will be blooming with new flowers in spring thanks to the major bulb planting programme.
The Our City, Our River (OCOR) project has given nearly 10,000 bulbs to the Friends of Nottingham Road Cemetery as part of a wider improvement project for the site.
As well as the Friends group, various other people and organisations have been rolling up their sleeves and getting involved in the planting throughout November.
They include local councillors, MPs, the Probation Service – Community Payback Team, and volunteers from Celanese.
These bulbs are the latest investment in Nottingham Road Cemetery by the OCOR project.
Extensive tree management is also proposed and a new sculpture where people can reflect on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is in development.
OCOR is Derby’s flood alleviation project led by Derby City Council in partnership with the Environment Agency.
The project is delivering enhanced flood protection and unlocking the potential for regeneration around the city centre through new flood walls, flood gates and a state-of-the-art pumping station on the Mill Fleam.
The next phase is due to begin this year at Derby Riverside.
Beyond infrastructure improvements, OCOR has also carried out an extensive programme of biodiversity enhancements including tree planting and installing bird and bat boxes.
Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability, said: “We associate the Our City, Our River project with flood defences, but it’s so much more than that.
“It’s about benefitting communities and giving them spaces to be proud of, both along the river and beyond.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to provide the Friends group with these bulbs and grateful for the work they’ve put in to plant them.
“I look forward to seeing the fruits of their labour in spring as we continue to work with our communities to improve Nottingham Road Cemetery.”