Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole no-mow policy reviewed

An environmental scheme to leave grass verges on roadsides and in housing areas uncut is to be reviewed after complaints from residents.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council introduced its Let it Grow trial to encourage biodiversity and habitats for pollinators.

It sparked complaints about long grass, the loss of children's plays areas and ticks.

The council leader admitted it "hadn't got the balance right".

The Let it Grow trial was set up to establish "grass meadows" in open spaces, on roundabouts and roadside verges.

BCP Council said reducing the frequency of mowing "helps to increase biodiversity by creating conditions that support a range of plants and wildlife, in particular pollinators which have suffered widespread decline".

Earlier this month it said the policy had led to a "profusion of colour".

However, in Mudeford, residents complained of unsightly long grass hiding dog mess and creating habitats for ticks.

Joyce Rafferty said: "This is residential. Yes, the poppies look lovely on the roundabouts, but here it's just a mess."

Nicky Groves said: "The children can't play out at all because of the long grass - you don't know what's in there - there could be needles or anything in there."

Speaking in an online question and answer session, leader of the Conservative-run council administration Drew Mellor said he agreed with a questioner who said there was "no ecological benefit to monoculture grassland - it just looks awful".

He said an interim review would be carried out into the scheme, rather than wait until the end of the trial in September.

"We've got to be positive and say look, it is a trial about our ecology and biodiversity," he said.

"It's not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but we've got to get the balance right and we haven't immediately, so we've got to do more work on that," he added.

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