FOR anyone who has noticed a bit of a buzz around Golden Square recently, the answer is on the shopping centre’s roof.

The site is the first centre in the UK to home a colony of more than 100,000 honeybees as part of an eco initiative to ensure the insect’s survival.

Richard MacRae, Golden Square beekeeper, said: “The shopping centre is really making a positive impact on its environment through these activities, helping to reduce our carbon footprint and increase biodiversity for the area.

“Many shoppers may have never even seen a honeybee so I hope we can make more people aware of their plight.”

The British Beekeepers’ Association has been working closely with the shopping centre as around 40lbs of honey is expected to be produced which will be donated to beekeepers in the area, with profits also going towards the association.

Schoolchildren will also be invited to visit the bees’ new habitat and understand more about how they can help honeybees.

Bird boxes installed on the roof will also further help the centre’s Growing Up Green campaign which hopes to make Warrington the north west’s ‘greenest’ town with a 65 tonne carbon emission reduction.

Launched in April and backed by the Energy Saving Trust, the eco-friendly initiative has attracted the support of more than 2,000 households.

Ian Cox, Golden Square’s marketing manager, said: “Shopping centres are at the heart of their towns and cities and definitely have a responsibility to promote positive change for their areas.

“We’re delighted that the project had such a major impact on our town’s carbon footprint. We can see that there’s a definite appetite for more sustainable activities that families can get involved with and help to make a difference.”