Grass cutting - Let It Bee programme

Grass will be left to grow in some areas of the district from May. Cutting schedule on sites will commence again in June, with many sites cut by the end of June or beginning of July.

Understanding Let It Bee 

We relax grass cutting when we can to balance the needs of our local environment, wildlife, residents and visitors.

Our approach is called 'Let It Bee' to highlight the importance of bees as pollinators and letting grass grow for wildlife. 

In 2023, we took part in 'No Mow May' for the first time. This is a campaign to encourage people to not mow their lawns in the month of May, and to mow less during the summer.

All planned grass cuts are being scheduled for the year around this programme, and relaxing grass cutting in this period is not a financial decision. Where long grass may obscure visibility for road users, we will continue to cut it.    

Grass cutting to recommence in June

Cutting schedule on sites will commence again in June, with many sites cut by the end of June or beginning of July.  The schedules are influenced by weather conditions. 

Where possible, we will still leave longer growth and wildflowers on larger areas or where flowering plants are enhancing the area and not causing obstructions, sightline or visibility hazards.  Grass cuttings are being left to recycle the nutrients back into the soil and retain moisture for the summer months to come.

We are currently working on a 5-6 week rotation of the district. For example, if your last cut was in early May, will get a cut in early June. Those who got a cut towards the end of May, could wait until July to get a cut again. At this time, we cannot give exact dates for verge cutting in your area, due to weather and access requirements on the day.

From June, other garden flowers and wildflowers are blooming and act as the main pollen source, meaning that species in grass verges are less critical. 

Benefits of leaving grass to grow

There are ecological benefits to leaving grass to grow.

Relaxing the cutting programme:

• increases the number of species, nectar sources and habitats for wildlife
• protects spring bulbs growing on verges which provide an early source of colour and nectar in spring
• allows time for bulbs to absorb energy post-flowering for next year's display

We are working closely with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to follow best practice. We're creating and linking areas that can provide ecological benefits for pollinators and establish wildflower populations that support pollinator life cycles. 

We are committed to tackling the local climate emergency, and continue to look at successful strategies to encourage biodiversity in Hampshire and further afield. We are monitoring the impact on biodiversity on some of our own trial sites to develop best practice. 
 

Ways you can get involved 

You can get involved in helping wildlife at home by:

• reducing grass cutting at the bottom of your hedge can encourage more species to grow naturally  
• picking up wildflower mixes from your local seed retailer for your garden or window boxes 
• create areas of native wildflower 'meadow' planting and read more on the Royal Horticultural Societies (RHS) "Perfect for Pollinators" list

You can also take part in Plantlife's No Mow May movement.