AN INCREDULOUS resident has refuted claims No Mow May was a success in Warwick district.
Residents across the area were called on by Warwick District Council to ditch their lawn mowers throughout May and let the grass and wildflowers grow with the aim of helping wildlife flourish.
Grass cutting was suspended on highway verges, council housing estates and the majority of the district’s parks and open spaces, with cuts still taking place in the likes of children’s play areas, cemeteries, sports pitches and major parks including Jephson Gardens, Pump Room Gardens, St. Nicholas Park and Abbey Fields.
Residents were encouraged to take part where possible, by letting some or all of their lawn grow untended during the month.
But a Warwick resident said he was not alone with being left unimpressed by the scheme.
Alan Sullivan said No Mow May had not only left many part of Warwick looking awful but the long grass had also had potentially dangerous consequences – posing a fire hazard and obstructing road junctions.
He told the Observer: “In many places it is now nearly two months since the grass has been cut. For several weeks the long grass has been a fire hazard, at road junctions the long grass obscures oncoming traffic, pavements are becoming overgrown with some of the tougher weeds becoming trip hazards, thistles and dandelions are becoming more established and the dandelion seeds are being blown onto residents lawns that will soon become weed infested.
“Dog mess is either being left in the long grass or cannot be found by the dogs owners so it certainly becomes an unpleasant surprise when stepping across a grass verge.”
Mr Sullivan continued that many large grass areas were so overgrown children could not play on them, while he also claimed the council were not playing their own part in the scheme, as grassed areas around WDC headquarters had been “mown to an exceptional standard”.
He said he was not alone in his opinions.
“Whilst out walking I have spoken to at least a dozen residents on Woodloes Park and not one has been in favour of ‘No Mow May’.
“One little girl was in tears as she had been stung by stinging nettles that she had not seen and her mother was none too happy with the state of the grass. I made contact with my local councillor and they said that they had had many people complaining about the situation.”
But WDC hailed No Mow May a success.
WDC climate change spokesman Coun James Kennedy said: “It’s been fantastic to see the results of No Mow May across the district, and to hear from the many residents that supported this initiative and even took part themselves. This is a significant gesture at a key time to improve the plight of nature and ensure that our ecosystem thrives.”
