Wakefield, United Kingdom
City population: 330254
Duration: 2015 – unknown
Implementation status: Unknown
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Previous derelict area
Last updated: April 2022

Wakefield Council is "responsible for managing over 2650 acres of grass in parks and countryside areas across the Wakefield district (this includes cutting the grass)". Since 2015, there are small areas where "the grass is being left to grow" naturally for environmental benefits. (Ref. 1) The objective of the project by leaving derelict some grass areas are that "the environmental benefits of leaving some grass to grow naturally include encouraging wild flowers to grow which will support bees and other insects, and aiding drainage to reduce flood risk" (Ref 1).

Wakefield Grass
http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/Core%20documents/LR5.4%20Greenspace%20Plan%20-%20Draft%20January%202016.pdf

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Other

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature, Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

The objective of not cutting some grass areas are that "the environmental benefits of leaving some grass to grow naturally include encouraging wildflowers to grow which will support bees and other insects, and aiding drainage to reduce flood risk". (Ref. 1)

Implementation activities

“Some small grass areas where the grass is being left to grow. In those areas we [the city council] will be focusing on making sure that people can still access the footpaths and the borders of those areas, but the rest of the grass will be left to grow naturally.” “These changes affect a small proportion of the grassed areas in Wakefield district. The rest of the grassed areas that we manage will continue to be cut as normal so that people can continue to use them for general leisure purposes.” (Ref. 1)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Create new habitats
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect valued species

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups
  • Other

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Taskforce groups

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Council's Street Scene team provides Ground maintenance services (which include cutting grass). Ground maintenance service from Grounds maintenance (a company) (Ref. 2, 3)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (UK BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan) through the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (Wakefield Council). (Ref 6))
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (“Management of natural areas [e.g. grasslands and woodlands] for the benefit of biodiversity is covered in the Local Biodiversity Action Plan” (Ref. 4 , 5) )

Financing

Total cost

Not applicable

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of land
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Enhanced support of pollination

Economic impacts

  • Reduce financial cost for urban management

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No

References

Ref. 1. Wakefield Council (n.d.) Grass cutting. Highway maintenance. Information obtained: 2017-07-10. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 2. Express (2016) You lodged more than 1,200 complaints to Wakefield Council last year. Information obtained: 2017-07-10. Source: Source link [Accessed 28 September 2020]
Ref. 3. Wakefield Council (n.d.) Grounds maintenance service. Grounds maintenance. Information obtained: 2017-07-10. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 4. Wakefield Council (2015) Leisure, Recreation and Open Space: Local Plan. Evidence base report. Source: Source link [Accessed 28 September 2020]
Ref. 5. Wakefield Council (2016) Wakefield Greenspace Plan - Draft. Source: Source link [Accessed 28 September 2020]
Ref. 6. Wakefield Council (2010) Wakefield Green infrastructure plan. Source: Source link [Accessed 30 September 2020]
Ref. 7. Wakefield Express (2017) Council cuts back...on grass cutting. Source: Source link [Accessed 2 October 2020]