Managing Road Verges for Wildlife Devon Local Nature Partnership Communities Conference 6th July 2019

The value of road verges Devon has ~ 2000 hectares of verge. 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s. Verges are therefore a vital refuge for many plants, bees, butterflies, birds, bats and bugs. In the UK verges support over 700 species, 45% of our native flora. Visible. The public LOVE wildflowers on verges. Over 16,700 people have signed Plantlife’s campaign for verges to be better managed.

Verge management in Devon Current DCC policy is to cut verges for Health and Safety reasons in visibility areas only (junctions, laybys, the inside of bends etc) Rural cutting – One cut a year of visibility splays on the rural road network (60mph plus roads) between mid-May to mid-June Urban cutting - Visibility areas alongside urban roads (40mph or under roads) is undertaken four times a year. Some parish/town councils have taken control over their urban grass cutting regime – they are provided with funding from DCC to undertake 4 cuts of their visibility areas. Any additional cutting is at the expense of the parish/town council. ©Anguskirk

Verge management in Devon Each electoral division within Devon has a designated Neighbourhood Highway Officer - provide local support and information on highway matters. The verges on major trunk roads – such as A38, A30 and M5 – are managed by Highways England. They still cut for visibility (i.e. on slip roads) but do have verge management plans for biodiversity on their larger verges.

Devon Special Verges 112 special verges covering only 73 parishes Designated due to exceptional wildlife value / value to the public (criteria being revised) For example, 42 in East Devon alone – largely for orchids (include rare species such as bird’s nest orchid) Demarcated with posts. No longer cut by DCC and wildlife value will decline.

Verges need managing! Too much cutting means flowers can’t set seed = boring grassland. Lack of cutting = scrub rather than species rich grassland Invasives need appropriate management e.g winter flowering heliotrope, Japanese knotweed http://www.naturaldevon.org.uk/home/devon-invasive-species-initiative/ Grass cuttings smother plants and increase soil fertility – encourages the growth of common, vigorous species. DCC is therefore encouraging communities to help manage verges for wildlife and has produced some guidance https://new.devon.gov.uk/environment/wildlife/managing-verges-for-wildlife © Natural England © Dean Morley

Step 1 Contact your DCC Neighbourhood Highway Officer to: Check that the verge isn’t already managed to maintain visibility or access. Discuss health and safety issues (see Step 2) Discuss demarcation of your verge (to ensure that others don’t cut it) Discuss whether DCC can lend you any equipment. Contact: customer@devon.gov.uk or call 0345 1551004

Step 2 – Health & Safety Before beginning work on any verge, it is essential: Work is undertaken by those that have completed the DCC highways safety awareness e-learning course or is a Road Warden. Contact hwaymain@devon.gov.uk Appropriate traffic management measures are put in place, when required, by someone qualified in Chapter 8 training (Road Warden). https://new.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/maintaining-roads/self-help-and-community-support/

Assess the existing value of your verge Step 3 Assess the existing value of your verge Any existing designations / known value? Any historic designations or features? What’s already growing? How can this be enhanced? Are there any invasives to deal with? Any protected species to be aware of? (slow worms) Potential information from Devon Biodiversity Records Centre (or please share info with them) © Claire Wright

Step 4 - Management Use the information from Step 3 to help identify what management is needed e.g. Cut after the majority of flowers / rare species have set seed. Where possible remove clippings. Don’t be tempted to reseed – better to cut regularly for a few years to reduce vigorous species and see what happens…. However consider yellow rattle…. www.plantlife.org.uk/uploads/documents/Road_verge_guide_17_6.pdf

Examples of existing projects Beer Road, Seaton Cut the banks using petrol brushcutters fitted with nylon cutting line during mid to late July. The arisings are left to dry for a few days before they are raked and removed in bulk bags The rich plant assemblage attracts a range of invertebrate species such as Bumblebees and Meadow Brown and Common Blue butterflies.

Other things….. Join Devon Local Nature Partnership – www.naturaldevon.org.uk. Initiatives include: Get Devon Buzzing! Includes work with Devon Living Churchyards Project / 2017 Build for Bees competition. Devon Invasive Species Initiative – sharing best practice on invasive species / useful links etc Naturally Healthy campaign. Outdoor Learning (Devon Education for Sustainability Working Group) Sign up for newsletters / conference invites / annual lecture invite etc Follow the partnership on twitter.

Other things……… Any Best Practice that we can share with others / case studies? e.g Parish plan (2011) – ‘measures to protect the landscape and promote biodiversity, eg in the churchyard, and on verges. Check out the Devon Community Toolkit - http://www.devon.gov.uk/devon-community-toolkit-for-the-natural-environment-feb-2012.pdf Find environmental information on the DCC environment viewer - https://new.devon.gov.uk/environment/environmental-maps