Councillor asked to justify how No Mow May in the Warwick district was 'a success'

The Warwick district councillor in charge of No Mow May has been asked to justify comments that it was "a success”.

No Mow May was a national scheme that Warwick District Council decided to pilot this year, suspending the cutting of many grassed areas to encourage the growth of plants and wildflowers and create better habitats for insects.

The authority acknowledged at the end of June that work to catch up on cutting had been hampered by weather conditions that prompted increased growth which meant the usual machinery could not do the job when usual work resumed.

That fuelled frustration among some residents with a survey on the project attracting more than 4,000 responses.

Councillor Will Roberts, portfolio holder for neighbourhood, which includes the council’s work on grounds maintenance, last week revealed his inbox had been full of feedback.

At last week’s meeting for all councillors, he described it as an “interesting area to take on” following the local elections in May when his party took charge from the Conservatives.

“It is clear that No Mow May was a success for biodiversity across the district and it was great to see the abundance of wildflowers and increase in insects,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean it didn’t have its issues. The length of the grass meant our electric mowers struggled and additional equipment was required.

"Unfortunately, that equipment was not available immediately which caused a delay in cutting.

“I fully appreciate the concerns about how No Mow May went.

"A review is currently underway which will consider all the replies to the survey and the many responses I have had, and I would also welcome responses and thoughts from councillors.”

A report will come back to cabinet – the coalition of Green and Labour councillors in charge of the district’s major services – in September to shape how any plans for next year will look.

A question later came forward from Councillor Becky Noonan who said rural areas like hers had “took the brunt of No Mow May”, despite having posted on social media at the back end of May to say her area was “looking great” as a result of the project.

“I did not expect my first two months in council to revolve around this but it did,” she said.

“You said earlier that it was a huge success for biodiversity and I wanted to know how we are measuring that success – do you have the figures from before and after to show what the increase in biodiversity was?

“Without those figures, how are you monitoring or suggesting that it was successful?

“Do we know what the impact is after we cut the grass? Are we then just getting rid of all that biodiversity or does it continue somehow?”

Cllr Roberts replied: “Like you, I did not expect my first two months to be all about No Mow May, receiving lots of queries on it.

“This was a trial and something that was signed off in April so there is a review going on. Part of that is how successful it was, that will all be a part of the report that comes to cabinet.

“A lot of people would say we want to continue leaving some grass areas all the way through June and July.

"Part of the review is recognising some places where we should have cut more, like some verges, residential areas, also looking at where we could cut less.”

Cllr Noonan further pressed Cllr Roberts on the validity of his opinion, to which he replied: “I don’t have the figures, I am basing that on going around and seeing the abundance of wildflowers and the increase in insects. All of that information will come out in the review.”