More than 70% of local authorities and their contractors now manage their road verges 'for nature', using road verge guidance published by Plantlife, the wild plant conservation charity said.
The Plantlife Road Verge Hub provides free resources for professionals looking for expert guidance and training on sustainable grassland verge management.
It ‘sets out how road verges can be wildlife havens, supporting green recovery,’ the charity said.
The focus of the guidance is on cutting grassland verges ‘less and later’ as a way of achieving multiple benefits – improving biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions and costs.
The Hub was created thanks to a grant from the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund and provides written guides, as well as case studies, webinars and a free online course.
Plantlife said it will be of interest to professionals across the road sector who are responsible for grassland verge management and maintenance.
David Tarrant, chairman of the trustees of the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, said: ‘At Rees Jeffreys Road Fund we believe roads really matter to all of us, whether we’re making journeys as drivers, passengers, pedestrians or cyclists.
‘We’re delighted to be able to support the creation of The Road Verge Hub by Plantlife. This project very much fits with the Fund’s ambitions to foster improvements in how we manage and use roads to deliver safer, more environmentally sensitive, more sustainable and more enjoyable outcomes for all road users.’
Any organisation interested in applying for grant funding to develop other innovative projects that could provide similar national benefits, can find guidance on the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund website.
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