Is your council ignoring No Mow May? Then grass them up!

11 May 2023 , 07:59
744     0
Oh really? Bee friendly sign in Nottingham (Image: Graham Birkett/Twitter)
Oh really? Bee friendly sign in Nottingham (Image: Graham Birkett/Twitter)

In an effort to encourage wildlife, Nottingham City Council says it is avoiding mowing some grass verges.

You can tell which ones should be left alone by the Bee Friendly signs, such as the one pictured above.

It's easy to spot, because the grass all around it has been cut flat.

The photo was tweeted by local butterfly lover Graham Birkett, who asked the obvious question: “What is the value in promoting Bee Friendly Nottingham if the grass verges are scalped?”

Apparently this isn't some deliberate policy of claiming to help wildlife while simultaneously destroying its habitats, it was a blunder.

Roadside shame of filthy Brits who throw 'tsunami' of litter from car windows eiqrriritzinvRoadside shame of filthy Brits who throw 'tsunami' of litter from car windows

“This should not have happened,” said the council. “We’ll be speaking to our teams to reiterate the importance of not cutting these areas.”

Judging by the replies on Twitter, this is happening all over the country.

Michael Myers from Nidderdale, North Yorks, wrote: "What a joke. Some fabulous cowslips on a roundabout on the way to work had been mowed to the ground this week, whilst in full flower. Nothing to do with road safety, it’s just on the contractor’s archaic job sheet."

Martyn Brunt from Coventry tweeted: "Verges on my lane have been mown three times already this year. Three times, by the end of April. Pollinators stand no chance."

Mal Bennett in Wirral wrote: "Every road verge, roundabout, park & grassy area has been mown completely to the ground in all areas that I live."

In Croydon, South London, the council is actually boasting about razing the area’s grass and flowers.

Is your council ignoring No Mow May? Then grass them up!Razing roadside verges in Croydon (Croydon Council/Twitter)

Last week it posted a picture of a couple of councillors on a verge with a mower operator, saying they were overseeing “our boosted grass-cutting programme” ahead of the coronation of King Charles.

Among the responses was one from wildlife gardener Joel Ashton, who tweeted: “King Charles is a big advocate for wildflowers. I’m sure he’d rather see #wildflowermeadows, not more mown and manicured areas.”

Is your council ignoring No Mow May? Then grass them up!Mowing verges in Grimsby (Martin Meechan/Twitter)

In Grimsby, North East Lincoln Council came in for stick for stripping verges, one Twitter user commenting: "Bonkers that they’re paying a labourer money to destroy something no one wants destroyed."

A council spokesperson said it has cut back mowing, leading to "gorgeous natural displays of native plants", but added: “We can’t leave all grassed areas to grow during May, for example sight-lines at junctions need to be kept clear and longer grass can cause problems for our mowers."

Woman brands husband 'disgusting' for refusing to flush the loo in the nightWoman brands husband 'disgusting' for refusing to flush the loo in the night
Is your council ignoring No Mow May? Then grass them up!Flattened verge in Gedling (Dave Martell/Twitter)

Nottinghamshire wildlife group member Dave Martell posted a picture of levelled grass without a flower in sight after mowing in Gedling, writing: "Three hours earlier this verge was smothered in dandelions, a vital source of food for early pollinators."

Gedling Borough Council said the verge in question was managed by Nottingham County Council, which did not reply to an invitation to comment.

If your council is ignoring No Mow May, email me a picture and tell me the location, they need grassing up.

[email protected]

Andrew Penman

Bees, Environment, Gardening

Read more similar news:

09.02.2023, 14:23 • More
Young adults want to careers in green industries - including renewable energy
18.02.2023, 08:29 • World
World risks falling into climate 'doom loop' as 'phoney war' with crisis ends
21.02.2023, 14:20 • News
Woman slapped with £500 fine after she dropped cigarette outside Primark store
22.02.2023, 13:24 • Finance
Boots confirms major change to everyday product sold in all its 2,200 UK stores
26.02.2023, 09:00 • More
Over half of Brits want to make eco-friendly changes - but can't afford to do so
09.01.2023, 15:12 • News
Hippy model uses '£1m from OnlyFans' to fulfil off-grid dream with own chickens
12.01.2023, 02:46 • News
Riot police evict people from village as it is demolished for new coal mine
12.01.2023, 07:59 • News
Woman hit with £400 fine for picking up rubbish scattered by foxes and seagulls
15.01.2023, 09:00 • News
Two-thirds of city dwellers wish there were more green spaces in their area
19.01.2023, 12:34 • News
Stinkiest place unveiled as city has 1,000 smell complaints in a year