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I am delighted to report that on the 22nd November, Bromley Council’s Environment Committee voted to approve two-year trial to allow wildflowers to grow on grass verges at selected locations across the borough.
While I welcome the scheme and fully support the aims of it, I was disappointed that the pollinator streets in Coney Hall which the group, Environment Action Coney Hall, had been campaigning for were not included in this trail – despite my lobbing for their inclusion. The Working Party on the verges opted to go for a limited number of sites across the borough for the trial. I hope that in the future we will be able to create the pollinators corridors in the area.
The trial will see the Council’s parks contractor, Idverde, not cut the centre of the verges, instead letting the grass grow and for seeds to settle. It is hoped that this will lead to more wildflowers growing and will help improve the biodiversity in the area. The trial will last for two years to allow sufficient time for the seeds to settle. Contractors will still cut the outside of the verges, a procedure called “picture-framing” to ensure the verges are kept tidy.
The trial period will include notices at the sites informing people of why the verges have been allowed to grow and the aims of the plans. Residents in affected areas will also be written to and be invited to take part in a consultation on the trial.
There are two sits included in the trail in Hayes & Coney Hall Ward, which are:
· Pickhurst Lane and Pickhurst Mead
· Addington Road
The verges will still be maintained to keep them tidy and demonstrate that these are no uncut verges but instead Nature Friendly verges, this is not a cost cutting measure but an attempt to really improve biodiversity across the borough, which is really welcome. Residents will also be consulted on the trial.