Nottingham volunteers pioneer herbicide-free street management

Nottingham City Council has invited over 100 volunteers from the community to pilot a new herbicide-free approach to managing city streets and plant growth.

Volunteers from local environmental group Wild.NG is leading the scheme, thought to be the first of its kind, by avoiding spraying herbicides to encourage the growth of pollinator-friendly plants.

The pilot is set to take place in 53 streets across Nottingham around Sherwood, Carrington and Basford areas and 128 Wildlife Volunteer Champions will take part.

City Council Portfolio for Environment, Energy & Waste, Cllr Sally Longford, said: ‘This pilot scheme shows that we are taking a fresh approach to managing streets and wildlife as part of our actions towards carbon neutrality. We’re keen to see how this trial goes and to see if other communities want to take a similar approach on their streets.

‘We are open to ideas like this which encourage wildlife, reduce the use of vehicles and chemicals and help to engage communities in taking action over the look and feel of their streets and neighbourhoods.’

The scheme will help to achieve Nottingham’s aims to be a carbon neutral city by 2028, as less vehicles will be needed to treat areas across the city.

It’s hoped it will help to green Nottingham’s streets too, as well as improve biodiversity, encourage pollinators and improve connectivity between habitats.

Trish Evans from Wild.NG said: ‘This pilot is pioneering and so critical for us to create wildlife friendly streets in Nottingham, healthier streets, and residential spaces, which are beneficial to wildlife and beneficial to people. 

‘We have been overwhelmed with the swell of local and national support for this pilot and the amount of volunteers who have registered because they deeply care for wildlife where they live and want to make this a success.

‘Already we are seeing so many benefits to our wild.NG work and this project. Communities and nature are connecting ‘street by street’ and to witness the growing sense of pride and passion is inspiring and progressive. 

‘We welcome this opportunity to work closely with Nottingham City Council as they test alternative, safer and kinder, approaches to managing urban nature, which are glyphosate free, where people and families live.’

Photo by Ray Hennessy