Sheffield Residents Get New Powers to Improve Local Biodiversity
Residents of suburban Sheffield communities will now be given the power to improve their neighbourhood's biodiversity and aesthetics, following plans approved by the Lib Dem led Waste and Street Scene committee.
The plans include giving local area committees the ability to designate grass verges as not needing mowing more than once a year and allowing residents to plant wildflowers in the verges with advice from Council officers and wildlife trusts.
In addition, residents can crowdfund or pay outright for additional trees on their streets at a cost of £200 for grass verges or £600 for tarmacs. Fruit trees are also permitted in suitable sites.
The scheme could play an important role in reducing biodiversity decline whilst making neighbourhoods more attractive, according to Councillor Barbara Masters who has led the campaign for wildflower sowing on grass verges:
"I’m incredibly pleased that we’ve got to this point on the scheme, and I’d like to say thank you to all the officers that have pushed it through. It’s fantastic to allow residents to take ownership of their community in this way. There’s an enormous amount of evidence that native wild flowers are good for bird and insect populations - they're also good for residents' mental and physical health".
Councillor Joe Otten, Lib Dem chair of the Waste and Street Scene Committee said: “I’m glad that these schemes are finally coming together, and I’d like to thank all of the community groups involved in formulating and pressing for these policies." He added "Lib Dems are changing culture away from assuming what is best for local areas," referencing Labour's previous felling of healthy trees.
Residents who wish to create wildflower verges should contact their Local Area Committee, details of which can be found here: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/local-area-committees
Once implemented, residents will be able to request street trees through the provider Trees for Streets, at this link: https://sponsor.treesforstreets.org/provider/sheffield-city-council