From: Mark Warters <mark@markwarters.co.uk>
Date: 25 May 2021 at 22:26:43 BST
To: Parish Council Osbaldwick <osbaldwickparishcouncil@yahoo.co.uk>, Alastair McFarlane <murtonyorkparishclerk@yahoo.com>, Julie Bone <parish.clerk@dunningtonparishcouncil.gov.uk>, Parish Council Holtby <jonathankay@sky.com>, Jill Edwards Steve Galloway <m>, Gwen Swinburn <
Cc: Ben Grabham <Ben.Grabham@york.gov.uk>, James Gilchrist <James.Gilchrist@york.gov.uk>, "Cllr. Widdowson" <cllr.pwiddowson@york.gov.uk>, "Cllr. C. Vassie" <cllr.cvassie@york.gov.uk>, "Cllr. D. Taylor" <cllr.dtaylor@york.gov.uk>, "Cllr. M. Pavlovic" <Cllr.MPavlovic@york.gov.uk>
Subject: CYC Pollinator policy?

Dear All,

Up and down the UK local authorities are initiating verge management regimes to improve both the aesthetic and bio-diversity value of the verges under their control;

Here in York on a major route into the city CYC are, in late May, rotovating up the dead sections of verge they killed off with glyphosate presumably to sow with an annual flower mix when simply initiating a sensible management regime for the verges was the sensible and cost effective option.

Likewise the large roundabout that had been a colourful feature for the last two years has had the same treatment today;

All this roundabout needed was over sowing with the perennial wildflower mix last Autumn that CYC had previously committed to do which would have complimented the existing seed that had built up over the last two years.........but of course when there’s public money to be spent........let’s spray it off, rotovate it up and start again!

Ludicrous.

Keep watch though because those in charge of this project will likely be trying to present this as some sort of triumph in mid/late August when in flower when the reality is this roundabout if left alone would have been ready to flower in the next few weeks at little or no cost.

How ‘pollinator friendly’ can it be go about things in this way?

Mark.

Regards,

Cllr. Mark Warters.

T:01904 413370