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08
Jun 2021
Harrogate's 'rewilding': untidy or biodiversity boon?
Harrogate district residents may have noticed the town is looking different this year — as swathes of green spaces, including on the Stray, have been left alone by mowers and strimmers so nature can grow free.
'Rewilding' is one of the words of the moment, with councils across the country hoping to improve biodiversity and attract bees, birds and insects.
The new look in Harrogate has been welcomed by many, who see it as a sign that Harrogate Borough Council, which manages our parks and green spaces, is serious about improving biodiversity.
But others who cherish Harrogate's long reputation for organised and elegant planting, believe it makes the town look untidy.
In the eye of the beholder
Shan Oakes from the Harrogate & District Green Party told the Stray Ferret that prim and proper Victorian-style floral displays can look old-fashioned.
In recent history, wildflower meadows have slipped into a dramatic decline as the species-rich grasslands are ploughed up for housing, farming and roads.
She said wildflowers will encourage pollinating bees as well as insects which can good food for birds.
'Very unattractive'
Alison Freeman lives near the Stray but said rewilding makes the town look "untidy and unsightly"
She said she fears broken glass and bottles lurking in the undergrowth which she believes poses a safety risk.
She criticised Harrogate Borough Council's approach to grass cutting this year.
Read more:
- Wildflower planting starts on the Stray tomorrow
- Watch: Volunteers plant wild flowers on Harrogate’s Stray
Judy D'Arcy Thompson from the Stray Defence Association took a more balanced approach to the issue.
She called rewilding "a very emotive subject with passions running high both for and against the wilding".
She added:
Great news for wildlife
As well as letting some areas grow free, Harrogate Borough Council recently planted 5,500 wildflower plugs on two areas of the Stray near Leeds Road and York Place. They were helped volunteers from Bilton Conservation Group.
A council spokesman said the new biodiversity areas will provide habitats and green corridors for some of the 1,500 species of insect pollinators across the district.
He added:
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