COUNCILLORS in Burntwood will decide on the future of a wildflower meadow in the town this week.
The area was created at Sister Dora Avenue alongside Burntwood Cemetery.
Members of the policy and resources committee at Burntwood Town Council will decide whether to end, continue or expand the area at a meeting this week.
A report said:
“As the flowers established, three individuals called to complain that the area looked scruffy. This may have been further exacerbated by the exceptionally wet weather which had the effect of accelerating grass growth and making the grass hard to collect when cut, resulting in clumping.
“The town clerk was able dispel myths that the wildflower scheme was intended as a cost saving measure by reducing the amount of grass cutting on that site.
“However, when the flowers bloomed, feedback from residents and the wider social media audience was overwhelmingly favourable with many commentators praising the council for its example in improving the ecology and supporting pollinators.”
The three options for the future of the plot, which is owned by the town council, include abandoning the wildflower area and reseeding grass, maintaining the wildflowers and adding more seeds, and expanding the plots to make them 50% larger.
The report added that further areas could also be identified around the town, including at the junction of Norton Lane and Lichfield Road, the junction of Oakdene Road and Springhill Road, near the roundabout at High Street and the A5190 in Chasetown.
A decision will be made at the meeting on Wednesday (11th September).
Anyone want to take bets on whether the three people who complained have got plastic grass in their back gardens and have fully paved their front gardens?
It has brought us great pleasure this Year to see that the Council has started rewilding Hedgerows. Thousands upon Thousands of Oxeye Daisies. The way it used to be when I was a Child.
Please let’s continue. We have left part of our Garden to Meadow, and this year it has looked Glorious and improving the ecology of our Planet. …
Let’s have more rewilding around the town.
Why don’t the three moaners who complained about the appearance of the wildflowers find something more important to whinge about? Hopefully they will be ignored on this particular subject.
More wildflower areas sounds like a great idea. For years we have had too much of a trend towards more concreting over and depleting nature and biodiversity in our gardens and countryside. Any spaces that can be used to encourage insects and other wildlife can help us redress the balance somewhat. This country is seeing a worrying loss of insect life, and it’s high time we turned the tide on this decline.