http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "Parks to grow wild in council cash saving bid" en Fri, 22 May 2026 08:52:00 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170563 Sun, 02 Nov 2014 14:08:42 +0000 LivM 170563@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm not sure about this... long grass accumulates litter, verges along cycle paths reduce the usable width of the path. As Bruce says, weeds start to take over - lovely if it's a managed wildflower meadow, a pain if it's just full of ragwort and the seeds spread to gardens etc. locally. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170370 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:22:50 +0000 bruce_mcadam 170370@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There are areas in Craigmillar Castle park that are cut once a year and allowed to grow otherwise. There were plans to have them cut for silage (so the maintainance work would pay for itself), but I think there was too much ragwort, even after volunteers had been in removing it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170363 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:08:42 +0000 PS 170363@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@14Westfield Opportunity cost. Cooncil could then redeploy the workers to tasks that they would otherwise have to take on staff/pay overtime to do. I'd suggest sweeping cyclepaths... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170351 Fri, 31 Oct 2014 10:33:06 +0000 kaputnik 170351@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@14Westfield - what makes you think the council has done its sums on this one? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170316 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 21:47:29 +0000 14Westfield 170316@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Im not clear how reducing grass cutting will save the council any money.<br /> Although some areas may be mown my contractors, its council employees that i see in our parks etc and they are not proposing to lay off any staff in this proposal.. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170307 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:41:38 +0000 gembo 170307@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Usually grass Gets cut on days it is raining, well actually it also gets cut on dry days but I always notice the wet cuts more.</p> <p>The skip the grass cuttings will be one of the budget balances that everyone picked. It will save pounds. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170240 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:45:02 +0000 acsimpson 170240@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The council maintained grass areas around East Craig certainly don't get mowed fortnightly. I suspect they are lucky to get more than 4 cuts a year currently. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170161 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:36:30 +0000 crowriver 170161@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Its not so long ago there were cattle grids across all the roads into Holyrood Park/Arthurs Seat and sheep grazing there."</p> <p>Indeed. We had to pay £12 to the Queen's Shepherd for a sheep which our dog chased over the crags. Must have been early 1970s. Oh the dog died too, fell over the cliff mid-chase.</p> <p>So, paysans letting dogs off the lead may have been a factor too. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170160 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:34:19 +0000 crowriver 170160@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>No idea if this eventually happened.</p> <p>"Council swops lawnmowers for sheep to cut their grass"</p> <p><img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_02/sheepgraze2506_468x332.jpg"></p> <p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-464486/Council-swops-lawnmowers-sheep-cut-grass.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-464486/Council-swops-lawnmowers-sheep-cut-grass.html</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170159 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:33:29 +0000 chdot 170159@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sheep in Holyrood Park might slow the traffic. </p> <p>Probably why they were removed... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170157 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:31:49 +0000 chdot 170157@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Had forgotten about the cattle grids! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170156 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:21:22 +0000 druidh 170156@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Its not so long ago there were cattle grids across all the roads into Holyrood Park/Arthurs Seat and sheep grazing there. I think it must have been late 70's they were finally removed. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170155 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:18:01 +0000 crowriver 170155@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sheep replace lawn mowers in Paris suburb<br /> Four little black sheep have started work as eco-friendly lawn mowers in a largely working-class district in northeastern Paris.</p> <p><img src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02526/paris-sheep-1_2526727b.jpg"></p> <p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9970626/Sheep-replace-lawn-mowers-in-Paris-suburb.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9970626/Sheep-replace-lawn-mowers-in-Paris-suburb.html</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170153 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:56:32 +0000 chdot 170153@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7479/15662051882_3e6a9396f0.jpg"></p> <p><a href="http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/details/1164848/" rel="nofollow">http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/details/1164848/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170151 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:46:58 +0000 crowriver 170151@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Pen a few sheep in the parks once a month, with an itinerant shepherd moving from one park to the next during the summer. Sorted! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170150 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:41:55 +0000 crowriver 170150@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Most green spaces are mown fortnightly to maintain a maximum grass length of 60 millimetres"</p> <p>Fortnightly?!!</p> <p>Seems a tad excessive. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170147 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:25:31 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 170147@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Interesting. I'm now on the Figgate Park committee and we've been talking about areas being for sports or recreation that should be mown more (with other areas a little wilder, or having more planting for wildlife - which is kinda my role upon the committee...) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13806#post-170145 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:17:50 +0000 chdot 170145@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>Princes Street Gardens will be exempt from the new proposals</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/parks-to-grow-wild-in-council-cash-saving-bid-1-3587166" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/parks-to-grow-wild-in-council-cash-saving-bid-1-3587166</a> </p>