Social Implications

Community involvement

Community consultation and education will be essential in setting up these schemes. Local people could help with maintenance.

Schools involvement

Schools could have small areas in their grounds or adopt a nearby site. It would be a useful classroom for environmental education.

Recreational benefits

Wildflower meadows are much more appealing to look at than amenity grasslands. They have an additional benefit in that tall vegetation shelters slugs that eat dog mess, thus reducing the problem if owners are encouraged to use these long grass areas.

Environmental Implications

Local Agenda 21

Wildflower meadows need less management than amenity grassland. Mowing is absent for a large part of the year. This would save money and resources.

Wildlife

This project will add considerably to the botanical interest and available wildlife habitat in the area.

Project viability

Constraints

Long grass is more likely to entangle litter than would normally have blown elsewhere.
Many people hold the view that short grass looks neat and tidy and gives an impression of care (as opposed to the conventional view of long grass equals neglect). Consultation would be important to gain the support of the local community, in particular on the selecting of suitable locations.