Bee-friendly bus shelters coming to Derby

Bee bus stops

Some of Derby’s bus shelters will soon be replaced with new, eco-friendly alternatives. Around half of Derby’s 90 new shelters will feature Living Roofs – nicknamed ‘Bee Bus Stops’ – designed to enhance biodiversity, at no cost to taxpayers or the Council.

We have awarded Clear Channel a ten-year contract to replace, manage and clean the city’s bus shelters at no cost to the Council. Once complete, Derby will be home to the UK’s largest city network of Living Roof shelters, demonstrating our commitment to creating a cleaner, greener city. It is one of many steps being taken to help Derby respond to the climate emergency by cutting carbon emissions and improving biodiversity.

Replacement of bus shelters

We are replacing the bus shelters as the current street furniture and advertising contract ends on 31 March 2022. A full procurement exercise was carried out to find the best supplier for the new contract to start on 1 April 2022. The contract includes supplying all the hardware (the bus shelters and advertising displays), along with installation and maintenance for the length of the contract. At the end of the contract, the supplier removes the hardware at their own expense. All costs are covered by the supplier from the revenue they generate with the digital advertising screens.

Clear Channel has worked successfully with Derby City Council for over two decades to clean and maintain the current bus shelters in the city. Having the same supplier also brings additional benefits to the people of Derby. Not only do they know the city extremely well, but they can also remove the old street furniture and replace with the new shelters within a very short timeframe, causing minimum disruption to the public.

Programme of works

We are working hard with Clear Channel to finalise the programme of works. The key consideration during planning is to ensure minimal disruption to the public and bus users. Once an old shelter is removed, the aim will be to replace it as soon as is possible. Much of the construction will be taking place during the summer, which should help minimise impacts felt by the public.

The current programme of works is outlined below, please note that all dates may be subject to change. The table also outlines if the shelter in this location will have a living roof.

Clear Channel Bus shelter installation timetable

Different types of bus shelters

We're currently working with Clear Channel to confirm what type of shelter will be at each location, and which are suitable for Living Roofs. This will depend on several factors, including location, to ensure they receive enough sunlight. It is hoped that around half of the 90 shelters to be replaced will have Living Roofs.

Not all of the bus shelters in Derby are included in the contract. In a separate initiative, following a successful bid for Transforming Cities funding from the Department for Transport, we are refurbishing around 400 bus stops on main routes into the city. This will involve the replacement of 125 existing Council-owned shelters and the supply of 20 additional shelters.

Green credentials of the shelters

The new shelters are made from as many recycled and upcycled materials as possible, and specially designed in a manner so that they last as long as possible. When the shelters reach the end of their life, they are 100% recyclable. The new digital screens are 50% more energy efficient than current models and powered by 100% renewable electricity. The bus shelters will be maintained by a fleet of 100% electric vehicles. Clear Channel will be offsetting residual emissions created by the contract, using certified offsets that follow the ‘Oxford Offsetting Principles’.

The shelters that are no longer in use will be deconstructed for spares across Clear Channel’s other contracts, with all other parts being recycled.

More information about Clear Channel's commitment to sustainability can be found on their website.

Advertising screens

Will this mean more advertising screens than before? Overall, the number of advertising displays will be reducing by around 70%. Most of the displays will be integrated into the new bus shelters installed in existing locations. There will also be a reduction in the number of free-standing displays.

In addition to the new shelters and the environmental benefits they bring, we will receive a guaranteed income each year from the advertising screens. We will also receive a technology fund to directly invest in the latest technologies within the shelters. As part of the agreement, we will also be able to use the digital advertising screens to promote key Council messages to the people of Derby at no charge.

The new advertising screens will provide a range of new and exciting advertising opportunities for local businesses. Clear Channel will be launching the Derby Business Development Rate card from 1 April 2022, offering discounts for local SMEs. More information for businesses is available on the Clear Channel website.