Lawn Drive verge mowing in 2024
In November, the Environment Committee of Chudleigh Town Council (CTC) voted to resume regular mowing of the wide verges in Lawn Drive. This was because the Council had been mistakenly informed that Chudleigh Wild (CW) would no longer be able to continue tending the pollinator bed and collecting the arisings from the mowing. Certainly it is the case that CW has found it difficult to manage the pollinator beds and also to get volunteer rakers on site to match the contractors’ mowing times.
At a recent meeting of the Environment Committee, CW chair Dave Smallshire explained that if CW were allowed to take on overall management of the two verge sections, it would be easier to find volunteers to mow or scythe and rake up and collect arisings on the grassy areas. CW publicity following the previous meeting had the unfortunate effect of putting the Council in a bad light, although it also brought forward new volunteers to help in Lawn Drive. CW regrets any offence caused to the Environment Committee and CTC; after all, they are also volunteers striving to improve our environment. We intend to move forward with a greater degree of communication.
As a result of Dave clarifying the situation, CTC have agreed to CW managing the verge sections this year, with a joint site meeting later in the year to review progress. This will entail CW cutting regularly the outside edges alongside the road and footpaths, as a contractor has done before. Within these edges, the grass will continue to be treated like a hay meadow: i.e. allowed to grow, flower and set seed through spring and summer with a late scything and the arisings removed. This removal of the arisings and the nutrients they contain is important for weakening grass growth in future years. The flourishing Yellow Rattle also weakens grass growth, allowing less aggressive flowers to become established. The main area where this will happen is opposite the school playing field.
Further down Lawn Drive are two ‘pollinator beds’, either side of a bench. These are narrow strips where flowering plants attractive to threatened pollinating insects have been planted or sown. Keeping aggressive plants such as Couch Grass and Creeping Buttercup at bay has proved hard work for CW volunteers).
Key volunteers for this year’s work are:
· Peter Warn, who has agreed to undertake the regular mowing and grass removal;
· Robin Aaronson and Sue Smallshire, who will put their scythes to good use in the hay meadow;
· Harry Flower, who has offered to help with the pollinator beds; and
· several existing and new volunteers who have agreed to help with raking up the arisings.
John Carlton
Town Clerk
01626 853140
clerk@chudleigh-tc.gov.uk