The state of verges in Hampton North continues to be the principal issue being raised by residents with Councillor Geoffrey Samuel.  After the Council introduced the new policy of encouraging biodiversity and wildlife by leaving the verges uncut we conducted a survey of Hampton North residents which found that 35% were in favour of this new approach, while 65% were against it.

The Council did not consult residents before implementing this new policy.

Residents have now been sending Councillor Samuel detials of the evidence given to a House of Lords committee by TV gardener, Alan Titchmarsh, in which he said rewilded gardens were catastrophic for wildlife and reduced biodiversity.  Councillor Samuel is awaiting a response from the Head of Parks, but the repsonsible LibDem Councillor has responded by saying that verges are different to gardens.

Among the comments being received from residents are:

• the grass is now so high that lines of sight are being affected
• the long grass is promoting mosquitoes, ticks and fleas
• there is a fear of fire in a very hot dry spell - remembering what happened on the David Lloyd Golf Course last summer
• the inability of responsible dog owners to retrieve faeces from long grass

Before pursuing this issue further, Councillor Samuel would like to hear from other residents, especially the minority who support the new policy.

You can reach him at: [email protected]