RECENT letters have complained about excessive cutting of roadside verges and hedges.

Herefordshire Coalition members support the desire to improve wildflower verges in the face of a 97 per cent decline in wildflower meadows in the UK.

Parish councils choose whether to have one cut or two, taking into account local safety implications.

Verging on Wild are working closely with BBLP and Keir to identify, protect and manage the Roadside Verge Nature Reserves, i.e. verges which are existing biodiversity hotspots.

While significant progress has been made Vergine on Wils would like to see a much more radical change in verge management across the county, including:

  • Stopping the spring and summer cutting
  • Reassessing the necessary ‘safety cuts’ because they are considered, often, excessive and unnecessary
  • A full width autumn cut with arisings collected. (Cutting the scrub at the back of wide verges will return it to grassland) This will require new equipment and one or more composting sites for the recycling of the arisings
  • Ending the practice of leaving the soil on the verge when drainage ditches are dug – this encourages weed species and ruins wildflower sites
  • Removing fertile topsoil when any excavation work is done, any new roads built or at accident sites requiring frequent cutting. These sites can all be sowed with a wildflower mix for poor soils. Installing a system for recycling topsoil
  • Ensuring that any seed sown is genuine UK native seed
  • Re-educate landowners in hedge management

Cllr Toni Fagan
Green Party
Birch Ward
Herefordshire Council