Living walls – structures housing flowers and plants fitted to the outside of new and old buildings – can significantly enhance the biodiversity within urban environments, a new study has shown.

The research monitored activity involving pollinating insects, spiders, soil invertebrates, birds and bats at three locations spread across the city centre and outskirts of Plymouth.

Over three survey periods, hundreds of creatures were observed including 12 different types of bees, hoverflies and other pollinators as well as 19 types of soil invertebrates and 12 species of spiders.