40,000 bees to be homed at Centre:MK
The new rooftop beehive is part of the centre's Green Roof Project
Last updated 23rd Apr 2023
A shopping centre in Milton Keynes is set to welcome a hive of bees to their new home on the centre roof in the coming weeks.
Its thought the new beehive is part of an ongoing Green Roof project, making use of the large rooftop surface area to provide green spaces and habitats for wildlife in the heart of the urban city centre. Currently, the roof already has a number of bird and insect boxes as well as areas of grass and wildflowers that the bees will enhance over time by pollinating.
40,000 bees will be housed in a hive on the roof in the first phase, with more hives coming later in the year. The bees will be looked after by local apiary, Mr Rob’s Honey, with opportunities for centre staff to learn beekeeping skills and get involved with the project. The honey the bees produce will be given away to guests, charity partners and staff.
Kevin Duffy, Centre Director at centre:mk said, “We are delighted to be welcoming the bees to the centre! Bees are a threatened species that play a vital role in our ecosystem, and we’re excited to be able to provide a habitat for them to thrive in the city centre, on our Green Roof.”
The Green Roof is part of a wider set of initiatives that have been introduced to help make the shopping centre more sustainable, including reducing energy usage, optimising waste management, and capturing rainwater for use in the scheme.