The Parish Council has received enquiries regarding the grass verges along New Road.
The roads, pavements and grass verges are owned by Cornwall Council and are the responsibility of Cornwall Highways.
Following safety concerns I submitted an online submission was submitted to Cornwall Highways.
Cornwall Council report reference: W232044519
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Status as at 15th June 2023:
Enquiry reference W232044519 relating to Vegetation (Overgrown Verge)
We have inspected the Reported defect and verified that it requires attention in accordance with our Highway Maintenance Manual. We will provide an update once the works have been undertaken.
Karenza Heald, Parish Clerk
https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/transport-parking-and-streets/roads-highways-and-pavements/report-a-problem-with-a-road-or-pavement/verge-maintenance/
I would like to say that the native wildflowers and the long grass are lovely – many community volunteers I talk to agree. The contrast between mown paths and wilder areas looks beautiful. The chemicals emitted by trees and plants in an in-balance ecosystem are stress-reducing and immune-system-improving for humans. It feels lovely walking around the village and the lake. Nature not litter!
There are so many more invertebrates and we are actually seeing swallows and house-martins come back as a result. Also, the other native bird species and bats seem to be doing better.
This is probably why we haven’t had the swarms of midges around the lake for a while.
Balance, balance, balance!
Many butterflies and moths don’t emerge until July, so I am very pleased that the long grass has stayed through June as well.
If / when it does have to be cut, the best way for the ecology is a section at a time so that displaced animals can still survive. I know that Enhancescapes will do this sympathetically.
Hello I just want to add to the long grass situation. The long grass is extremely dry therefore not only is it a visiblity and public safety issue but also a potential wildfire issue with all this dry and hot heat. Just something else to bare in mind. Kind regards
Thank you for your comment. The maintenance of the roadside verges full under Cornwall Council not Millbrook Parish Council. Here is some information received from Cornwall Highways. Cornwall Council has introduced a new policy which aims to encourage wildflowers and pollinators to thrive, without compromising road safety. The Council is responsible for maintaining over 75 hectares of urban verges and green areas in our towns and villages.
In keeping with the Cornwall Council’s aim to create a greener Cornwall we have implemented changes to how we manage verges. The Council, as part of their bee pollinator action plan wants to allow wildflowers to seed and therefore verges and closed churchyard areas will be left to flourish, with more sympathetic maintenance taking place before cut back later in the summer.
Last year Cornwall Council carried out a public consultation asking residents how they wanted the verges to be managed. The results of the survey, which received more than 2,000 responses, overwhelmingly suggested that residents wanted to see nature encouraged to flourish. As a result, Wildflowers are being left to flourish in towns and villages under Cornwall Council’s new urban verge-cutting policy. Verges will now be cut two or three times a year, instead of eight, and cuttings will take place after the flowers have finished blooming and seeds are set.
Our maintenance teams will still be visiting monthly to tidy path edges, cut around benches and fixtures, ensuring visibility for safety reasons, as well as removing invasive and more prolific weeds. We are evaluating which areas may be used regularly for recreation purposes, such as to ensure children can still play in their neighbourhood. If there are grass areas within the local estates that are used for informal play and recreation, please do get in touch and a Manager will visit to make a compromise between rewilding and use by the community. Cutting at junctions and bends on the highway will also continue to ensure roads remain safe and visibility is not compromised.
In terms of the maintenance activity at Wadebridge and St Austell, these are maintained by the local Town Council.
You can find out more about how we maintain verges in urban areas, typically those within 30mph zones on the Council’s Website Making Space for Nature – Cornwall Council and Wildlife Verges – Cornwall Council
Changes have also been made to encourage more wildlife to verges in rural areas. On our main roads a ‘Safety Cut’ is carried out in the spring to early summer (May -July) to reduce growth obstructing visibility at junctions and signs or verges with high pedestrian usage.
In early spring and again in the autumn, we will carry out a Serviceability Cut on our main roads. This means cutting more of the highway corridor and will usually include a one metre ‘swathe’ cut to help reduce verge encroachment. Again, these cuts will be minimised, where appropriate, to reduce the impact on the natural environment and for safety reasons only. On the minor rural road network, cuts will be restricted to reactive safety cuts only following inspections or as part of local rural maintenance activities.
Please be mindful that the speed of growth is always influenced by the weather conditions and this may result in longer grass between cuts or changes to our schedule.
To find out when we will be in your local area to cut the grass or carry out other maintenance activities in our parks and open spaces, please click on the links below.
Wildlife Verges – Cornwall Council
Schedules are being published on a weekly basis by Community Network Area. About Community Networks – Cornwall Council schedule Environment – CORMAC (cormacltd.co.uk). If your area is not listed, this means that we do not have works planned in your area for that working-week. Please remember to check the pages regularly for up to date information.