A GROUP of Rhuddlan residents have been left outraged that Denbighshire County Council has stopped cutting an area of grass in front of their homes after 55 years of doing so.
Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies, along with Cllr Ann Davies (Rhuddlan ward), met the residents last week to give them a chance to air their grievances.
The grass in Nant Close is one of the council’s "Bee Friendly/Biodiversity" designated areas and only a narrow strip around the edge has been maintained since last summer.
Much of the grass is now 1.5 metres in height and obscures trees and ornamental roses.
Residents were not consulted on this designation and many have been strongly against it; they previously organised a petition, which was rejected by the council.
Now the council, which had maintained the area for more than half a century, has threatened to withdraw oversight of the area in the long term.
Cllr Davies has been pressing Denbighshire County Council to get the grass cut, and Dr Davies repeatedly raised his concerns with the council about the non-cutting of grass on this piece of land and at other locations in the county.
"Whilst I support biodiversity and wildflower meadows, I am totally against the planting in residential areas,” Cllr Davies said.
“Nant Close is a lovely, quiet area; residents are mainly elderly, some are housebound.
“They have always enjoyed the view across the circular grassed area in front of their properties, now they feel trapped by 5ft-tall grass, with not a single wildflower to be seen.
"We now sadly have antisocial behaviour in this area. The council have cut this area of grass for over 55 years since the bungalows were built, therefore I believe this should continue.
"I am saddened and embarrassed by the lack of care and empathy shown to the residents, and I would again urge Denbighshire County Council to reinstate this area to its former glory as soon as possible."
Dr Davies added: “I am very keen to support efforts to improve biodiversity and recently had the pleasure of speaking to Alan Titchmarsh about how this can best be achieved.
“However, there needs to be a common-sense approach, with buy-in from local people. Sadly, we are not currently seeing this in Denbighshire.
“There are some sites which are well-suited to achieving greater biodiversity, but allowing grass and weeds to overgrow in urban residential settings is often not appropriate, as has proved to be the case at Nant Close.
“This piece of land, like many of the county council’s sites, looks a mess, and is largely devoid of flowers and insects: it is far from being biodiverse.
“The long grass is a trap for dog faeces and litter, a fire hazard when dry, and will encourage vermin and fly tipping.
“It is devaluing properties, has reduced visibility for drivers and cyclists, ruined the view for housebound residents, and is causing issues for residents who have hay fever (one of the residents said he was needing to use a steroid spray for hay fever for the first time).”
Dr Davies has also received correspondence from residents in other parts of the Vale of Clwyd who are unhappy about the biodiversity areas and overgrown weeds in their neighbourhoods.
Heddwyn Jones, a Bodelwyddan resident, copied him into an email he sent to the council, in which he called large stretches of grass in the area a “mess”.
Dr Davies added: "The overgrown area is causing much angst amongst residents who want to have pride in their community.
“If residents wished their surroundings to look like this, they would manage their own gardens similarly, but they certainly do not.
“Worse still, it seems to have created a mindset whereby untidiness is rife, with weeds and poorly-cut grass along many of our streets.
“All in all, there is the perception that the council no longer cares about the quality of the local urban environment.
“Some of the residents who live on Nant Close are elderly and told me that the long grass in front of their homes makes them feel unsafe.
“Just a couple of days after my visit, the police were called after a man was found lurking in the overgrown grass for over an hour-and-a-half.
“Land ownership across the public sector, and within the local authority alone, is more than sufficient to accommodate biodiversity schemes without degrading built-up residential areas.
“Grassed areas in residential communities were developed for aesthetic reasons and to allow exercise and play.
“With general agreement, some or parts of these can be managed to encourage attractive and biodiverse wildflower meadows but we must be realistic as to the limits of what can be achieved, and avoid putting ideology ahead of common-sense.
“Denbighshire need to listen, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. There is no value in engaging in a dispute with residents for no tangible gain.”
A statement from the Rhuddlan residents read: “Our continued petition since the summer 2021 and the issues we continue to raise are brushed aside by the council.
“With the grass not cut since August last year, the planting of wildflowers remains not actioned and we are left with an awful-looking and unkempt site.
“This encourages vermin and fly-tipping, plus is a fire hazard in the summer.
“Whilst we, the residents, understand the urgent need to safeguard our planet, this change should not be at the expense of health and safety and mental well-being.
“We urge Denbighshire County Council to reconsider their decision.”
Cllr Hugh Irving (Prestatyn central ward) added: "I supported the biodiversity initiatives in principle but felt there was a lack of balance in their imposition.
"The Central Ward of Prestatyn has massive biodiverse areas such as much of Prestatyn Hillside, Coed yr Morfa Woodlands, the wonderful new wetlands area, and the Morfas, as just a number of examples.
“But residents are raising concerns with me about smaller now unmaintained plots in residential areas around the ward such as Woodland Park and the Stoneby Drive/Plas Uchaf Avenue junction.
"I wonder if it is necessary to no longer maintain such sites when the area is surrounded by massive areas and woodland which amply meet biodiversity needs."
In response, the council said that a number of meetings have been held at Nant Close, with elected members and residents, to discuss the potential options for its ongoing management.
During the last meeting, the council explained that this site was not in its ownership, which had become apparent following a land registry query.
The council also committed to communicating the potential options for the site in writing to all residents, in order to reach a general consensus and agreement in principle, before pursuing the land acquisition process.
The letters are due to be sent out imminently to all residents of Nant Close, outlining the discussed management options, in line with the Council’s climate and ecological change strategy.
Enhancements were planned for 2021 when plants were put aside for the site, but these were put on hold after the petition was raised as it was felt this may cause additional tension on the site.
When the council attempted to enhance the area with new plants last summer, staff were faced with “considerable resistance and aggression” on the site.
A council spokesperson added: “The offer of making those enhancements is still on the table, but council staff must be confident they can carry out their work without fear of intimidation.
“And while we appreciate that most residents treat council staff with courtesy, unfortunately, a small number of individuals have made it impossible for staff to carry out their work.
“Surveys on the land had to stop after July 27, 2022 due to tension on the site and fears for staff safety.”
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