flowers in a field

Councillors from Cwmbran Community Council agreed to put £2,000 towards plants and seeds to create a wildflower area.

Veronika Brannovic, Torfaen Council’s Local Places for Nature Coordinator, gave a presentation to the community council’s environment, sustainability and planning committee. She spoke about the council’s ‘No Mow Scheme’ where around 150 selected grassed areas are not cut from May to September. Signs are put up at each location so residents know that the land is being left to encourage wildflowers to grow.

Councilor Anthony Bird, Northville Ward, said that in some places the uncut areas looked “neat” whereas in others they looked “higgledy-piggledy” and asked if the reasons areas weren’t being cut were being communicated to residents?

‘Things that look like weeds are so valuable’

Councillor Rhiannon Bennett, Coed Eva Ward, spoke about her role as a school governor: “Children are so passionate about the environment. I’m so keen to promote messages about No Mow and wildflowers. I’ve had a good response from my community.

“I went on a foraging activity in Two Locks. It was a really good way to educate people on biodiversity. Things that look like weeds are so valuable. Would be good in line with what we are doing to create more of these spaces to have more of these activities to show people what they are about.”

Cllr Leanne Lloyd-Tolman, Upper Cwmbran Thornhill Ward, said: “Part of the problem is people don’t see the longer term goal.” She suggested involving young people and the local community to show “where we were and where we have got to.”

Cllr Kebba Manneh, St Dials Ward, said: “Given that this council have a bit of money in reserve could we look at developing a wildflower meadow?”

Cllr Bill Walker, Llantarnam Ward, said: “I wouldn’t mess around with seeds. I would get a few thousand plug plants. The following year you would have wildflowers.”

Cllr Bird said: “Can we earmark £2,000 to fund work to develop a Cwmbran meadow?”

The Council agreed to give £2,000 for ‘an area for a wildflower meadow, to identify the area(s) and buy plug plants or seeds, with guidance from Veronika Brannovic’.

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Photo credit

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash