News from: Reading Borough Council
Reading Borough Council have announced plans to further extend the progressive rewilding scheme, following another successful year.
The scheme aims to restore, reclaim and protect natural habitats and native species on highway verges and in parks to address the climate emergency, by enhancing biodiversity and green links across the town. We introduced a new approach to grass cutting across various sites in Reading over the past two seasons which has proved a great success.
The latest end of season review shows the experiment worked in most areas and public feedback and support for the scheme continued to be overwhelmingly positive.
Following the publication of the ‘Wildflower Plan’ launched in 2021, we further extended trial areas across 12 parks, which has successfully added 2 hectares (5%) to the overall conservation grassland and rewilding efforts.
We also extended wildflower planting to areas within the town centre using enhanced wildflower turf, funded by Reading Central BID.
Local interest has enhanced our efforts, with several volunteer groups arranging their own neighbourhood rewilding efforts, including areas of Waterloo Meadows and the Newtown Community Garden.
Our idea now is to explore the option of creating wildflower – or naturally rewilded – areas on the margins of allotments sites. There is also potential for rewilded areas in main shopping areas in Tilehurst, Caversham and Whitley, where there is land for wildflower planting, as well as corridors into Reading, like the A33, Oxford Road, London Road and Henley Road.
As with previous years, we are asking residents and park users for feedback and we will carefully review any changes at the end of the season. People can send feedback by email to rewilding@reading.gov.uk.
Find out more about rewilding in Reading at www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/outdoors/rewilding-reading.