As part of the ‘Love Your Verge’ campaign, we have published a series of videos to explain our approach to roadside management in Dorset.
We have made changes to our verge management policy in recent years. Safety remains the top priority, so the approach strikes a balance between cutting verges regularly where needed for visibility and working to protect and enhance Dorset’s natural environment. It forms part of our work to mitigate the declared Climate and Ecological Emergency.
Where safe, verges are cut less often and methods are used to increase biodiversity. The approach not only saves money and reduces carbon emissions, but it will also help to slow the growth rate of verges over time.
Verge maintenance prompts many questions and comments. While some people prefer verges to be kept short and neat, others love the wilder looking verges. The series of ‘Love Your Verge’ videos seek to clarify how verges are maintained and why. They explain the methods used to create a better environment for wildflowers to thrive, which is important for attracting pollinators.
The videos are part of the popular ‘Love Your Verge’ campaign, a countywide collaboration between our Coast and Greenspace Service and Litter Free Dorset. The campaign encourages residents and visitors to value verges and open spaces. Signs situated in specific locations around the county explain how open spaces are individually managed due to the specific local habitat, while aiming to reduce incidents of littering.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
‘Safety is our primary duty and our teams will continue to cut verges regularly where it’s needed. However, there are many miles of verges where there’s opportunity to manage in a way that’s more sympathetic to wildlife and ecology.
‘The loss of natural habitats is a major threat for pollinators. Leaving verges to grow for longer and encouraging wildflowers to thrive can provide a rich habitat to help compensate for this.
‘We hope the campaign will help to inform residents and visitors about Dorset Council’s approach to verge maintenance and why it’s so important for local wildlife populations. We are committed to a healthy environment and ensuring that future generations can enjoy our natural world and the wildlife that lives within it.’
To find out more about the Love your Verge campaign and watch the videos, visit litterfreedorset.co.uk/love-your-verge
We are fed up with looking at the mess in front of our property can someone come and cut the grass, I hope our council will be reduced to reflect the savings your making by not cutting the grass .
Hi Stephen, reducing cutting to provide and preserve habitats does save money and it also reduces our carbon emissions. If we continued to maintain our verges the way we have in the past, they would need cutting more frequently each year, meaning costs would also increase.
While I approve the verge management policy I am not sure the signs are effective. Is work being done to assess any visible effect on litter and dumping after placement of these signs? I am sure that their appearance does not improve the rural environment.
On a related matter, many significant road signs including substantive (i.e. not repeater) speed limit signs in Dorset are currently obscured. While Autumn hedge cutting should largely solve the problem these signs should surely be kept visible throughout the year.
Thank you, please do report any hedge, tree or verge issues here: https://dorset-self.achieveservice.com/service/report-a-hedge–tree-or-verge-issue
Hi. Your policy of leaving verges for wild life is great,but in places they need cutting as visibility is impaired. Striking a balance is important as you say but I don’t think you have the balance right. I am afraid that it is being looked at as a way to save on the verge cutting. In some places it is dangerous as it’s impossible to see. Some cutting is overdue. Kind regards Ken
Hi Ken, as mentioned in the article, safety is our top priority and our teams endeavour to keep verges short where needed. Please do report any safety concerns here so we can investigate: https://dorset-self.achieveservice.com/service/report-a-hedge–tree-or-verge-issue
Last year the big roundabout coming out of Charmouth had work on it by the council . They dug it up and flattened it ? I said at the time would,nt it be great if they plant all wild flowers on it . Oh no that would have been a step too far they have just left it for weeds to grow again.
wondeerffull
This scheme is ridiculous! If these verges were properly dug over and sown with wildflowers they would look great, but just to leave mowing them which is obviously to save money all we see are weeds mostly dandelions which then seed and make the whole area a mess, including our gardens. If you are not prepared to spend the money to do it properly, then go back to regular mowing of the verges.
Hi Bernard, the loss of natural habitats is a major threat for bees and other pollinators so it’s essential we work to provide and preserve these habitats (you can read more about this in our Pollinator Action Plan: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/countryside-coast-parks/countryside-management/protecting-bees-and-butterflies). What we consider to be ‘weeds’ can often provide great sources of food for pollinators, for instance dandelions are rich in both pollen and nectar.
‘Weeds’ and ‘wildflowers’ are the same thing.
What grows well on the verges will be the sort of ‘weed’ that enjoys that habitat and soil.
I echo Ken’s concerns above about leaving the verges to get too long and impairing visibility. This also (perhaps even more so) applies to bushes and tree branches obscuring both visibility and road signs.
Can you contact Highways England and request that they adopt’ Love my Roundabout ‘ by sowing wild flowers on the Canford Bottom roundabout .
Good news It will save money and improve our landscape.
The verges near me have been planted by the field owners with flowering and berry trees mixed with hazel and white thorn.
Despite their efforts the hedges are cropped annually down to about four feet even though they are back from the roadside and on a straight run of road. Please tell me how to stop this action done annually by a local contractor including coming onto the land in ne instance and cutting from the field side.
There seems no one to contact . The road in question runs from Hazelbury Church to the Alners corner-west/ east.
Many thanks
Jim Kirby
Hi Jim, thank you for your message – in the first instance I would recommend getting in touch with our Countryside and Greenspace Service who might be able to help or advise on this: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/contact/countryside-greenspace-service.aspx
Not Now Bernard!
It is not ridiculous. Please get a grip.
Weeds are wildflowers.
If you want more wildflowers sow them yourself and stop complaining.
Be the change you want to see in the world Bernard. Only you can do it, and not by complaining.
Excellent news for wild life that will enhance the beauty of our environment
and bring pleasure to residents and holiday makers alike. The verges have been lovely this year, full of cowslips, poppies, cow parsely, cornflowers and more.