Road verges covering 1.2% of Great Britain, an area the size of Dorset, could be used to grow wildflower meadows and create habitat for wildlife, a study says.
In a report outlining the scale of road verges in England, Scotland and Wales, researchers from the University of Exeter used Google Earth and Google Street View to estimate that verges account for about 1,000 sq miles (2,579 sq km) of the UK’s land.
According to the report, up to 707 sq km (27.47%) of road verges are short, frequently mown grassland. The rest includes 1,062 sq km (40.87%) of regular grassland, while 480 sq km (18.73%) is woodland, and 272 sq km (10.66%) is scrub.
The report states this type of land, defined as the strip of land between the roadside and the fence, presents “significant opportunities” to improve verges as “multifunctional green spaces” in urban areas and densely populated regions, where land scarcity is an issue.
Ben Phillips, lead author into the report from University of Exeter’sEnvironment and Sustainability Institute, said: “Our key message is that there’s a lot of road verge in Great Britain and we could manage it much better for nature. About a quarter of our road verges are mown very regularly to make them look like garden lawns – this is bad for wildlife.”
Previous research has shown that reducing mowing to just once or twice a year provides more flowers for pollinators, allows plants to set seed and creates better habitats for other animals.
The study, carried out with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty unit, also argues planting trees in some verges could provide a wide range of benefits for people, nature and the environment, and contribute towards the government’s tree-planting ambitions.
Phillips said: “We found that only a quarter of frequently mown verges had trees, so there’s potential to add trees and shrubs, which will also help to capture carbon. But tree planting must be done carefully to avoid damaging flower-rich grass verges, and to prevent any impacts on visibility for drivers, or damage to infrastructure from roots and branches.”
Phillips said while some verges needed to be mowed “regularly for safety”, many could be mown less frequently, which would save local council’s money.
The UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s. The research follows the success of projects such as the Weymouth Relief Road in Dorset, where native wildflowers have thrived on chalk verges. The area is now home to half of the butterfly species in the UK, including the smallest, the small blue. Dr Trevor Dines, botanical specialist at Plantlife, said: “Our research estimates that if all of the road verges in the United Kingdom were managed for nature, there would be a spectacular 418,88 bn more flowers, or 6,300 per person in the UK.
“If all our verges were managed for nature we would see an area the size of London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh combined adorned with wildflowers. This surge in pollen and nectar would have a genuinely transformative effect on the prospects of wildlife.”
Clare Warburton, Natural England’s principal adviser on green infrastructure, said: “We are committed to protecting and restoring our natural environment, and establishing wildlife highways creates fantastic green corridors to provide important links for wildlife.
“We have already secured commitment to create seven miles of butterfly highway along the verges and embankments of the new A303 Stonehenge tunnel scheme as part of our Porton to Plain project – and are working on identifying further opportunities to create places for wildlife to thrive.”
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.