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May 2021

Last Updated: 11/05/2021

Environment

Harrogate council apologises for fake grass saga

by John Plummer

| 11 May, 2021

The council says the fake grass is a trial, and will be removed if it doesn't make the town look better. Extinction Rebellion Harrogate, which removed some of it this morning, says the local authority is more interested in aesthetics than the environment.

Harrogate Borough Council has apologised this afternoon for not doing a better job explaining its decision to put fake grass in the town centre.

The statement, which can be read in full below, outlines the council's reasons for choosing to install plastic grass.

It also reveals the council will place planters with flowers on top of the plastic grass — something it has already begun to do.

Early today campaigners from Extinction Rebellion Harrogate removed fake grass from one of the raised beds in Harrogate’s Cambridge Street, and replaced it with plants in protest at the council's use of plastic.

The council statement says that although it recognises Extinction Rebellion's reasons for its action, it would have preferred the group to speak to the council first.

It goes on to explain that the current installation is a trial, and will be removed if it turns out not to "make the town look better and bring more plants into the town centre".

The statement adds the council has plans to plant trees on three sites totalling 17 hectares.

It says:

“We haven’t explained this well and we are sorry about that. We concentrated too much on getting the trial in place and not enough time explaining the totality of what we were doing.”

Extinction Rebellion replaces fake grass with flowers in Harrogate

Huge backlash against 'cheap and tacky' fake grass

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Harrogate explained why it engaged in direct action this morning:

"We felt really shocked and disappointed and just a bit baffled by the fact that plastic grass had been put down in the first place, we’ve all spoken to lots of people, locals and visitors, and they all say it looks hideous."

She denied the group had committed any legal offences, saying it had not damaged the plastic grass and will return it to the council in due course.

Asked about the council's statement, she said it was more interested in aesthetic issues than environmental ones:

"What about the micro-plastics that are going to be layered on the soil? All you have to do is to plant plants that are shade loving, they’re ones that members grow themselves. Why bring plastic into the equation?"

"We don’t want Harrogate to be this plastic town and the council seems to be sending out such a strong message that neat and tidy is much better than biodiversity."

Here is the council's statement in full:

“While we recognise Extinction Rebellion Harrogate’s reasons for removing the artificial grass and installing plants, we would have preferred them speaking to us first so that we could have explained the full scheme and how it enables even more plants right into our town centre.

“Traditionally, we’ve put plants in the beds beneath the trees, but these rarely last very long because the trees soak up all the moisture and nutrients in the soil, leading to the plants looking rather sorry for themselves.

“Inevitably, this means the beds end up being visually dull and nothing more than a magnet for cigarette butts, empty coffee cups and fast-food takeaway packaging. They look a mess and prompt almost as many complaints as we’ve had about the artificial grass.

“The artificial grass is a base for planters that will sit on top of the beds.

“These planters – that have already started to be installed – will have their own water source, separate from the tree roots, so that the bedding plants can thrive on their own. This will result in a vibrant display of colour all year round. Using the artificial grass as a base means we can have more and more plants in our town centre and make the area more attractive.

“We’ve been asked why we didn’t put down stone or bark. We ruled this out because, regrettably, it will be most likely end up being used as an ashtray or messed-up because it is loose. Surfacing with stone, or something more substantial, would also compromise the tree root system.

“This is just a trial though. If, when the beds are fully installed, they don’t make the town look better and bring more plants into the town centre then we will remove them and try something else.

“We share the passion people have for Harrogate’s award winning floral displays and is something we will continue to support.

“We are also have further plans to reduce carbon emissions having recently identified three new council-owned sites, covering some 17 hectares, for new tree planting schemes.

“We haven’t explained this well and we are sorry about that. We concentrated too much on getting the trial in place and not enough time explaining the totality of what we were doing.”

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Harrogate council apologises for fake grass saga

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