THE Department for Infrastructure has defended cutting the grass and wild flowers around the Rise sculpture at Broadway, saying it was for “road safety purposes”.
The department received both bouquets and brickbats from our nature columnists Dúlra in the space of two weeks. Dúlra first praised the department for allowing the grass to grow at this time of year beneath the sculpture when birds were busy nesting.
However, as soon as his column was published the department brought the "mechanical scythe" out and and left a "scorched earth with no flowers, bees or indeed life at all", according to our columnist.
He wrote: “Dúlra thought those two annual cuts would come at the start and end of the year. Mid-July is when nature is coming to its pinnacle, when the days are long and warm and humid. Growth is at its greatest in mid-summer, just before the year turns and a slow decline sets in.
“Birds are on to their second clutch of eggs and insects are in the middle of their life cycle.”
He said the wildflowers had now been "obliterated".
Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure said: “Grass cutting operations are carried out by the Department specifically for road safety reasons and not for cosmetic or amenity purposes. Our approach focuses on protecting wildlife and promoting biodiversity, without compromising on roads safety.
“Areas that are needed for road safety purposes, such as for sight lines at junctions, which would include the area around the Rise Sculpture at Broadway, are cut at least twice each year to enable road users to see on-coming traffic when exiting a junction.
“The public can report an issue with roadside grass, weeds, hedges or trees at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/roadside-grass-cutting-weeds-and-overgrown-hedges-or-trees .”
