New bus shelters are taking on a life of their own as part of the County Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan and ongoing efforts to tackle the climate emergency.

Around 70 new “living roof” shelters, featuring 16 varieties of low maintenance plants on their roofs, can now be found across the county.

The sedum plants flower from March to October, attracting insects and bees while also capturing carbon from traffic.

Shelters in areas where there is no power available will also include solar panels and low energy lighting.

The project is being funded using Bus Service Improvement Plan funding from the Department for Transport (DfT).

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “These living roof bus shelters are a simple but fantastic idea for the environment. They’re looking lovely now they’re in flower and they will be a great addition to our network to help support insects and reduce carbon emissions. There are plans for more shelters over the next few years, and we also have a rolling replacement programme in place with Fernbank, so they’ll eventually become a common sight across the county.”

Devon County Council received Bus Service Improvement Plan funding specifically ring-fenced for bus stop infrastructure improvements including bus shelter installation and electronic real time information signs.

A small amount of funding is available for match-funded projects in communities interested in upgrading their existing infrastructure.