What is a Green Street?

A Green Street replaces the sterile tree pits and sprayed pavements with wildflowers and pollinator-friendly plants, creating biodiversity corridors between parks. The key steps on Loria Road included:
Gaining community support – Andrea spoke to neighbours, circulated letters, and asked households to agree not to use pesticides in their own front gardens.

• Negotiating with the council Volunteers offered to take on weeding and litter-picking in exchange for the road being removed from the council’s glyphosate spraying list.
• Planting for pollinators Tree pits were filled with poppies, cornflowers, clover, phacelia, and geraniums, plus donated cuttings.
• Maintaining momentum Monthly working mornings (always followed by coffee and cake) keep the street tidy, beds watered, and community bonds strong.

Why Ban Glyphosate?

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weedkillers, is indiscriminate — killing not just weeds but all plants in its path, damaging pollinators, soil life, and potentially human health. It can persist in soil for months and wash into waterways when it rains.
Andrea and Croydon Climate Action hope to see glyphosate banned entirely, but until then, their goal is to get more streets “off the spray list” by showing that volunteer-maintained planting can work.

Building Community Alongside Biodiversity

Laurier Road’s transformation isn’t just about flowers. It’s about people.
Neighbours who’d never spoken now greet each other. Fly-tipping and littering have dropped noticeably. Families, retirees, and young people all take part — whether that’s planting, watering, delivering flyers, or baking gluten-free macaroons for the working parties.

As Andrea puts it:
“Gardening and sweeping are exercise outdoors. Do it with other people and you’re ticking every wellbeing box possible — plus you’re building a sense of belonging.”

From Bleak Streets to Green Streets

The change is visible. Once-yellowed, barren tree pits now burst with colour, attracting bees, butterflies, and curious passers-by. Some residents have even extended the planting beyond tree pits into their own front gardens, expanding the biodiversity corridor.
One particularly moving moment came when Andrea approached a neighbour who had objected to planting in front of her home due to mobility concerns. By listening and promising low-growing plants, Andrea won her trust. Months later, the neighbour admitted:
“It’s very pretty.”

Lessons Learned and Tips for Starting Your Own

Andrea and her team have created templates and resources for other communities wanting to start a Green Street:

• Consult your neighbours first Agreement and buy-in are essential.
• Work with, not against, the council Offer solutions, like volunteer weeding, to replace spraying.
• Think about safety Avoid prickly, poisonous, or invasive plants; keep sight lines clear.
• Plan for all seasons Bulbs and evergreen cover keep beds interesting year-round.
• Make it social Cake helps!

The Future: Growing the Grid

With templates now available, Croydon Climate Action hopes to inspire more streets to follow Laurier Road’s lead. The dream is to create entire zones of spray-free, pollinator-friendly streets, connected to parks and schools.
Andrea’s ultimate ambition?
“To see the idea cross-pollinate — literally and figuratively – to roads all over London.”