Wild About Britain - Verge cutting

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Verge cutting

Verge cutting

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xxx

07-07-2009 07:41 PM - permalink

Dogghound

Our local council seems to cut every single bit of rough grassland. I can accept it with regards to making the odd path wider but riverbanks, road verges etc dont need doing. Do other people think that this has a negative impact on insects? I do, not only are caterpillars and their food plants cut to shape but also valuable nectering sites are removed.

xxx

09-07-2009 09:38 PM - permalink

GrayB

I agree, at least around Birmingham it's the same but i don't believe all councils act the same way.
Some councils do leave road side verges to grow continuously without touching them, i know this is true in some parts of Wales as i lost a piece of my car in Cwm Rheidol and a year later visiting the same area i found it again on the road verge and i'm sure that if the verges there were maintained and cut back the part would of been found and removed.
But why councils insist on cutting back i have no idea. Most people i talk to are truly unaware of whats around them regarding insects they seem to have the attitude that if it's smaller than a kitten it has no point and maybe councils feel the same.
Maybe they should be made aware of the effects their cutting back can have on the insect population.
Gray.

xxx

10-07-2009 10:10 PM - permalink

Dogghound

It is damaging to birds which feed on the insects as well as damaging to small mammals. Just seems like a waste of their time and money alot of the time.

xxx

11-07-2009 07:34 PM - permalink

JRsbugs

Here they only cut a swathe near the roadside. The road is quite narrow and tall grass at the sides can obstruct views of oncoming vehicles but only in some places, such as where I come out of my driveway. They didn't cut it until quite late so I imagine they are either on budget or nature awareness.

I wonder if those areas being cut where unnecessary are down to contractors making the most of it, as many of this type of job are contracted out now. That doesn't really make sense as I think most contractors get the job according to tender so they're not going to waste their time doing more than necessary, unless instructed to of course.

That leaves it down to the people who make the decisions, have you thought of going to your local council meetings to put forward your concerns? You can do that, I did once to complain about large potholes in the road and they were fixed very quickly!

Janet

xxx

13-07-2009 08:33 PM - permalink

Meta menardi

Well, Dogghound, I agree very strongly that verge cutting is too frequent, but you do live in a Holiday town, and I think some considerable pressure is coming from this. My biggest problem with grass cutting is the number of people who now cut the grass verge outside their house, and often on the otherside of the road as well. If you own a farm that can be quite a distance. I drove from Malton to Thirsk recently, the grass verges, by and large, are beautiful. A good verge is godd for insects, plants, spiders... Biodiversity in short. Protect your country road verges, I say.

I agree with Janet, ring your local council and ask to speak to your Parks and Countryside Services, DH, you will get a sympathetic ear. I don't work there now, but I have done.

xxx

27-07-2009 07:32 PM - permalink

Dogghound

Cheers Meta I will give that a go. Hopefully see what their opinion is on my point.

xxx

30-07-2009 05:44 PM - permalink

Meta menardi

Let us know how you get on. I am working near Ebberston at the moment, the grass verges are cut more often than my lawn! (Not that I cut the lawn much).

xxx

01-08-2010 12:25 AM - permalink

infovore

Your local authority is certainly worth contacting if you are unhappy with the manner in which your roadside verges are managed, as is your local Wildlife Trust which may well have a programme of roadside verge nature reserve management.

Here in Lincolnshire the County Council Highways Dept. took on new roadside maintenance contractors in April. Flailing on the verges has since been overzealous. Legally the designated highways authority in each area is responsible for mowing a 1.1m strip adjacent to the carriageway and for mowing visibility splays at junctions and on tight bends. The average flail head width is often over 2m and sadly many operators simply flail the full working width. Quite often a chain of sub-contracting can make it difficult for work specifications to be communicated adequately.

xxx

01-08-2010 12:29 AM - permalink

infovore

I am running a project with the Lincs Wildlife Trust called 'Life on the Verge' (lifeontheverge.org.uk) which is mobilising volunteers to survey road verges for indicator species of wild flower and is trying to raise awareness of the importance of lowland limestone grassland. We are in touch with the local authorities and contacting local landowners to encourage more wildlife-friendly management on those roadside found to be especially diverse.

Lincolnshire County Council currently makes funds available to the Lincs Wildlife Trust on an annual basis to take on the management of important road verges. This is done through contractors who cut and bale hay which is collected. Cuts are only taken after the middle of July and later if possible in order to allow plants to set seed.

xxx

01-08-2010 12:30 AM - permalink

infovore

Flailing should be avoided because:
1. The action of flail blades mulches vegetation and annihilates any less mobile invertebrate life above ground.
2. The flailed vegetation is often left and will rot down into the soil increasing its organic and nutrient content. This encourages those plant species which can exploit more fertile conditions and will start to dominate the sward such as nettle, docks, thistles, cow parsley, hogweed, cleavers and the like - hence lowering diversity especially areas with thin, lime-rich soils.

The bases of hedgerows should be left for at least 4 years at a time before being flailed to prevent scrub encroachment. Ideally on alternate sides to allow an invertebrate population to recover.

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