Complaints over “No Mow May” have led to Bradford Council reconsidering the annual programme.
Each May, the Council leaves areas of grass in parks and on verges to grow in a bid to boost biodiversity as part of the national campaign.
Last May, around 190,000 square metres of grass in public areas, around one per cent of all grass cut by the Council, were left to grow wild.
But a report into the programme produced by Bradford Council admits “there are differing opinions on No Mow May.”
The report was discussed at a meeting of the Council’s Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, when members were told the sites chosen to be left unmowed had been amended.
In future there would likely be a greater focus on “naturalising” certain areas of parks rather than letting grass grow for one month of the year.
The report said: “The council recognise it does pose some difficulties- equipment can often struggle with cutting such long grass and areas are left looking untidy following the cut due to the length of the grass.
“This can cause complaints from local residents.
“Following careful consideration, we have amended our No Mow May sites for 2025 and where possible, will install visible signage explaining about No Mow May in the areas we are leaving to naturalise for the month.”
Catherine Smith, from the Council’s Parks service, said: “We’ve reduced the amount of no mow sites based on complaints from last year.
“We’ll be cutting grass at the end of April so the growth is not as bad. These changes are based on complaints and feedback from last year.”
Other changes will include cutting grass closes to footpaths.
Councillor Chris Herd (Cons, Worth Valley) said: “People contact us as Councillors at the break of a twig. If signs were put up explaining what is going on it might help reduce complaints.”
Councillor Amjad Zaman (Lab, Keighley Central) said he was “the loudest critic of No Mow May” among Labour Councillors. He claimed the policy effected the health of some of his constituents, causing hay fever in some. He said others had complained about flies.
He said: “In principle I support it, but I also support the health of my residents. People really struggle when grass is not cut.”
He said Councillors were “getting it in the neck” from residents about uncut grass.
Mrs Smith said the number of sites that will be left un-cut is being reduced, but added: “That is not to say we’ll cut grass just because a resident complains about it. We still need to give the right message about biodiversity.”
Councillor Alex Mitchell (Lab, Queensbury) said some areas, including Queensbury, did not lend themselves to wildflower growth.
He said: “In some areas there is not much wildflower – it just looks like we’re not mowing grass.”
Mick Priestley, Principal Parks and Green Spaces Development Manager, said there was a long-term strategy to have more dedicated wild areas in parks, adding: “To many No Mow May seems an excuse for Councils to not mow the grass. We’d like to move away from No Mow May to a wider no mow policy -building up biodiversity in particular sites. That is better than just not cutting grass for a month.”
By: Chris Young, LDRS
