11 May 2023 , 07:59
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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.
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“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.
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.”
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."
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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.