A DUP councillor and senior Stormont aide’s claim to have secured extra grass cutting on main roads in the Mid & East Antrim Council area is “not accurate”, according to the Sinn Féin-run Department for Infrastructure (DfI).
Peter Johnston, a Carrickfergus representative and special adviser to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, was recently “thrilled to announce” on social media that a motion he brought to council meant additional grass cutting “across all main arterial routes“ throughout the borough.
He claimed it was “a FIRST (his capitals) for any council in Northern Ireland”.
But not only have the councillor’s comments been criticised by a celebrated biodiversity campaigner, they have also been rubbished by the department responsible for roadside grass cutting, which told The Irish News: “There are no plans for additional cuts on arterial routes in any council area.”
Donna Rainey, who in July received an honorary doctorate from Ulster University in recognition of her rewilding work, said Mr Johnston’s attempt to encourage additional cutting was “so detrimental” to biodiversity and that as a public representative, he should use his influence “to improve the management of verges without simply reducing them to barren lawns”.
Dr Rainey’s ‘Don’t Mow, Let it Grow’ initiative, which advocates an approach to verge cutting and grasslands that is more sympathetic to biodiversity, has been supported for almost a decade by Causeway Coast and Glens Council, which neighbours Mr Johnston’s own local authority.
In a recent post on Facebook, the DUP representative said: “I’m thrilled to announce that following my notice of motion, DfI contractors will now carry out THREE extra grass cuts per season across all main arterial routes in our borough!
“This is a FIRST for any council in Northern Ireland, and will definitely enhance the look of our towns and main roads.”
Mr Johnston also said the council was “investing in lawn mowers, strimmers, and other equipment” that could be borrowed by ratepayers who wish to carry out their own public realm maintenance “FREE OF CHARGE”.
But when DfI was asked to confirm the councillor’s claim about extra cuts, a spokesperson said: “This information is not accurate. There are no plans for additional cuts on arterial routes in any council area.”
The spokesperson said DfI policy was that “a single swathe will be cut along the verges on the strategic road network twice per year” and that additional cuts would only be necessary for “road safety reasons”.
“The department is committed to protecting wildlife and promoting biodiversity when managing roadside verges and our approach aims to maintain the right balance between road safety and the control of grass and weeds while achieving a greater focus on environmental protection,” the spokesperson said.
“We have advised Mid & East Antrim Council that we are happy to increase the frequency of grass cutting in urban areas where there are sightlines at bends and junctions for road safety reasons. This is in line with our existing policy.”
Dr Rainey said she had read Mr Johnston’s post “with dismay”.
“I fully understand the need for visibility on our roads and this must be a priority, but excessively mowing verges simply ‘to tidy the place up’ is a very detrimental act,” she said.
“Insect populations have plummeted by 70% in the last 30 years. They are the bottom of the food chain and one way or another, we all depend on them – they are crucial for pollinating crops and our native wildflowers. Birds, hedgehogs, amphibians and other wildlife rely on adequate insect populations.”
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