Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Discuss all aspects of the three towns in the Threetowners' Lounge.
iain
leading Poster
leading Poster
Posts: 607
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:03 pm

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by iain »

I met with the relevant person from the Council last week to discuss the Beach Park. To cut a long story short, this year a further patch of lawn will be left to grow wild further inland on the Beach Park. This should give some indication of how far inland the potential wildflower grassland currently extends (before it turns into species-poor grassland). Once I ascertain the nature of the vegetation at the end of summer, I’ll devise a proposal to leave large areas uncut (apart from the football pitches, obviously) and then organise a public consultation on the proposals. I also met last week with a couple of consultants who came down to Stevenston with a view to providing me with a quote for a large scale public consultation on this and one or two other projects.

The Council recognise that leaving large areas of the Beach Park to revert back to nature will save them considerable money. Their only concern is that people mistake new wild areas as signs of Council laziness. Therefore, we’d need to install some form of interpretation at the site to explain to site users why large areas are remaining uncut. We’d also need to empirically demonstrate that there is valuable biodiversity in the new wild areas by surveying the bees, hoverflies, moths etc. that take-up residence. Both of these conditions are reasonable.

Once the Council approve our proposed methodology for the public consultation, I’ll try to secure funding for it.

Iain
Vivc113
Mega Heid Poster
Mega Heid Poster
Posts: 3446
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:21 am
Location: The Super Moon

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by Vivc113 »

iain wrote:Their only concern is that people mistake new wild areas as signs of Council laziness.
Which it is........

Utter laziness throughout the towns.... we used to have people making flowerbeds pretty in the town too ... now they are just grass.
"Words are very.... unnecessary... they can only do harm".
User avatar
little plum
Mega Heid Poster
Mega Heid Poster
Posts: 3360
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:51 am

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by little plum »

Well done Iain, looks like the project is heading in the right direction. I had a sneaky feeling that the monetary benefits would have a influence in the decision making process. :)
iain wrote:The Council recognise that leaving large areas of the Beach Park to revert back to nature will save them considerable money. Their only concern is that people mistake new wild areas as signs of Council laziness.
Iain
Iain, your council rep is being a bit negative. The way I see it, supporting this project gives N.A.C. the opportunity to portray the council in a positive light, people are more aware of global warming, pollution etc,and it seems " green" is the buzz word. If they publicize their support through whatever media it would preempt/dispel any thoughts of " laziness".
A few days ago there was a feature in the Scottish news about a biodiversity group campaigning to leave road side verges uncut, I didn't quite catch the area. Although it was a narrow strip, the group were successful in their campaign, when I say a narrow strip the length could run into hundreds of miles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off - Abe Lemons
User avatar
Meg
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6131
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 10:18 am
Location: Formerly Ardrossan, now Ayr

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by Meg »

little plum wrote:A few days ago there was a feature in the Scottish news about a biodiversity group campaigning to leave road side verges uncut, I didn't quite catch the area. Although it was a narrow strip, the group were successful in their campaign, when I say a narrow strip the length could run into hundreds of miles.
LP - I love the idea of leaving areas of the countryside to grow "wild" however, I do sympathise with the people who are contesting that roadside verges should be left "wild" as it has caused accidents with motorists unable to see because of the height of the grass at T junctions.

Meg
User avatar
little plum
Mega Heid Poster
Mega Heid Poster
Posts: 3360
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:51 am

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by little plum »

Meg, road safety consultants/campaigners were part of the topic proving that people/groups with different invested interests can work together.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off - Abe Lemons
User avatar
little plum
Mega Heid Poster
Mega Heid Poster
Posts: 3360
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:51 am

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by little plum »

little plum wrote: Nearer the slip it broadens out, the section I walked over was 13 paces.
iain, went down the point today to see how things were doing. I noticed the broader section has been cropped to an inch of it's life leaving a very narrow strip uncut. I seem to remember in an earlier post you were in discussion with the council in expanding the project, the signs are not good.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off - Abe Lemons
User avatar
morag
Mega Heid Poster
Mega Heid Poster
Posts: 11337
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 12:29 am
Location: Stevenston. now in S. Cal

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by morag »

VivAyrshire wrote:
iain wrote:Their only concern is that people mistake new wild areas as signs of Council laziness.
Which it is........

Utter laziness throughout the towns.... we used to have people making flowerbeds pretty in the town too ... now they are just grass.
People need to make the difference between wild / natural areas and unkempt ones
"You don't have a Soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."
C.S.Lewis
iain
leading Poster
leading Poster
Posts: 607
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:03 pm

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by iain »

Yep, the project’s not taken off. It’s been almost a year since I met with the Council officer responsible for organising grass cutting at the site - who was a friendly and helpful fellow - to discuss the project. Things fell apart after this when I tried to confirm with a representative from Education (the Council department that owns the land) that we could go ahead with this very straightforward project. Ironically, in his younger days, the Council employee in question pushed for the same project himself. Unfortunately, I could not elicit a response from him and at a councillor-mediated meeting several months later he stated unequivocally that community groups across North Ayrshire were no longer allowed to devise and implement any green space projects anywhere in the county, because the relevant Council manager didn’t have time to give permission to such projects. So this project, along with just about everything else, just stopped.

Last month there was a drastic change in who has authority over giving permission for such projects. This fills me with hope that permission might be more forthcoming from now on. Indeed, this week we will meet to discuss this and other projects before I bring them to the new representative of the landowner to try to negotiate permission for the projects.

Iain
User avatar
morag
Mega Heid Poster
Mega Heid Poster
Posts: 11337
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 12:29 am
Location: Stevenston. now in S. Cal

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by morag »

Good luck! I hope you get somewhere with this plan. My kids used to love a walk 'up the country' and see the wildflowers along the road, just as I did and down the Rec..I used to be almost late for school on the way to old St. John's, mesmerised by the changing seasonal growth, the bright green of the new grass, the black buds of the Ash trees..then running like mad before the school gate got locked! I think Mr. Donnelly, our school caretaker got used to it and waited a few minutes longer, probably seeing me scurrying along Moorpark Rd. Lol! He was a good man.
"You don't have a Soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."
C.S.Lewis
iain
leading Poster
leading Poster
Posts: 607
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:03 pm

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by iain »

Thanks, Morag. It’s such a simple project and costs nothing (in fact, the Council save money by doing it!), that I’m hopeful it’ll progress soon.

Iain
User avatar
little plum
Mega Heid Poster
Mega Heid Poster
Posts: 3360
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:51 am

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by little plum »

On the left of the photo you can clearly see a line of Dandelion flowers, this was where the uncut area stopped last year. It's a pity as wild flowers were beginning to recolonise the strip
DSCF0741.JPG
Just by chance I acquired 3 packets of wildflower seeds for free and scattered them along the strip. They contained Wild Marjoram, Red Campion, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Wild Red Clover and Common Vetch, if they don't germinate there's nothing lost.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off - Abe Lemons
iain
leading Poster
leading Poster
Posts: 607
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:03 pm

Re: Stevenston Point Biodiversity Project

Post by iain »

Hi LP,

We’ve got the ball rolling with the Council re. expansion of the project and the person I’m dealing with seems very enthusiastic about the idea. Hopefully expansion will be forthcoming soon and your seeds will get a chance to grow! I believe that a condition of expansion of the project will be interpretation - e.g. signage letting site users know what’s going on and an article in the local press.

I like the photo of the Cuckoo Flowers.

Iain
Post Reply