Sopwith Crescent open space, Merley

Consultation October-November 2020

The consultation period has now ended

In late 2020, BCP Council carried out a consultation with local residents to hear their views on proposed changes to the grass cutting schedules at Sopwith Crescent to allow the formation of meadow areas.

Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to complete our survey. We’re pleased to share with you a map showing the agreed mowing regime, together with a summary of the consultation feedback we received for more information.

Your feedback

Benefits to wildlife

A wide range of invertebrates such as moths, butterflies, bees, beetles, grasshoppers and spiders all benefit from the shelter and food offered by long grass meadows, and as a direct result of this the numbers of birds, bats and hedgehogs and other small mammals can all be boosted locally due to the increased food provided by the insect population and the grass seeds.

Populations of grassland butterflies have declined almost 50% over two decades and species such as the Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath and the Skippers amongst others need long, undisturbed grasses in which to lay their eggs where they will then hatch, feed and hibernate as caterpillars. In the spring, the caterpillars resume feeding on fresh growth and when fully grown, will transform into a chrysalis for 3-4 weeks, emerging anytime from June – September as a butterfly that lives a short life for just a few days.

Moths such as the Large Yellow Underwing feed on grasses and make up a large part of the diet of many other species, either in their larval stage or as a flying adult.

Meadow & Field Grasshopper amongst others feed on long grasses through the summer and provide great entertainment for children trying to spot them. Common Carder Bees build their nests in grassy tussocks.

Ground feeding birds in particular enjoy grass seeds as they are tasty and easy to swallow. Because finches and sparrows have soft beaks, they can easily pick up the small seeds and gain great nourishment from it. Birds tend to prefer seeds with a thinner shell but will eat any variety if they’re hungry enough.

Long grassy areas can add an invaluable area to many wildlife species and can be very low maintenance, only requiring a mow once a year, but for many caterpillars and other tiny wildlife species, you are doing them a favour if it’s left all winter too.

The issues across BCP Council

• The management of grass areas is an important grounds maintenance function with a significant amount of time and resource allocated towards it.
• There are different management methods used throughout Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This is largely determined by the designation and use of the land. The adopted management practice for a given area will influence a number of factors, as follows:
  a.  Time required to carry out operations
  b.  Resources needed, including the requirement for dedicated teams and machinery
  c.  When to undertake operations i.e. time of year and frequency
• Management of grass areas will also have an impact on wildlife and the environment and this varies depending on the method used.
• Increased environmental awareness, ongoing financial pressures and the Council’s declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency (and pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030) has resulted in a need to review the management of grass areas throughout BCP and implement sustainable, ecologically sound practices.
• Grass management practices must contribute to the required reduction in carbon emissions whilst remaining within current and future budget constraints, and also meet approved levels of public satisfaction.
• Implementation of agreed management methods will also contribute towards consistency of operations throughout the combined Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area.
• Regular cutting of amenity grass areas, irrespective of location and the amount of use they receive is a traditional practice largely undertaken to maintain an accepted appearance.
• In parks and open spaces this has resulted in many hectares of ‘green desert’; expanses of closely mown grass that are rarely used for the types of recreational activities where short grass is essential. They can also lack diversity with regards to visual appearance and the species that they support.
• In recent years, an increased awareness of environmental issues has already resulted in a change to some traditional practices. One of these is to identify areas, generally within amenity grass and highway verge, and manage them as grass meadows.