Wildflower planting in Cornwall's towns and urban green spaces has significantly increased the number of pollinating insects, new research shows.

The Making Space for Nature project, a joint initiative by Cornwall Council, Cormac, and the University of Exeter, rejuvenated urban areas like parks, road verges, and closed churchyards across 15 Cornish towns.

The towns included Bodmin, Falmouth, Hayle, Helston, Redruth, Camborne, Penzance, Pool, Launceston, Liskeard, Saltash, Newquay, Bude, Penryn, and St Austell.

University of Exeter researchers found that these spaces, covering 78 hectares, have become thriving centres for pollinators.

The addition of wildflowers resulted in a two-fold increase in visits by certain pollinators, particularly solitary bees and wasps, compared to areas without new plantings.

The combination of wildflowers and ornamental flowers particularly attracted hoverflies and other fly species, with 3.5 times more found in these areas compared to those with only wildflowers.

Oliver Poole, an Exeter PhD student who led the study, said: "The Making Space for Nature scheme aimed to improve public green spaces for both people and pollinators.

“We studied 50 paired sites across 10 of these towns, which were either left as normal (mostly mown grass) or planted with wildflowers or a combination of wildflowers and non-native ornamental flowers.

"These didn’t take up large areas – no more than 20 per cent of space was used – but the results show urban green spaces can provide a vital refuge for pollinators, while also being appealing and enjoyable places for people."

The research, based on insect surveys, identified some native wildflowers as particularly beneficial for pollinators. These included common knapweed, common hogweed, cat’s ear, and oxeye daisy.

Councillor Martyn Alvey, portfolio holder for environment and climate change at Cornwall Council, said: "The Making Space for Nature scheme has provided communities with access to nature as part of their everyday lives and created safe havens for wildlife.

"The spaces have been transformed into rich and diverse habitats."

Melissa Ralph CMLI, Cormac’s Making Space for Nature manager, added: "It’s fantastic that University of Exeter research provides evidence that the new ornamental and wildflowers are helping reverse Cornwall’s decline in insects.

"The new planting and Cormac’s nature positive management methods clearly benefit both people and urban wildlife."