Wildflower verges proposed in Thurrock council cuts

The council could create wildflower zones in parks and on some verges as a cost-cutting measure

A council could plant wildflowers as it looks to save money by chopping its grass-cutting budget ahead of a £34.5m government funding reduction by 2024.

Thurrock Council in Essex hoped to plants seeds in parks and on verges and also cut £100,000 from its street cleaning budget.

There was a risk this would mean "less frequent litter picking in some areas", the council said.

If the two schemes were approved, up to seven full-time jobs would be lost.

This is the latest cost-cutting proposal by the council, which in July said it would have to lose one in four jobs to meet the government funding reduction.

Roadside meadows have popped up in towns and cities across the UK, including Sheffield

The proposal was to create wildflower zones in parks and on some verges so the council could cut ground maintenance teams and replace full-time posts with seasonal ones, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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Councillors on the cleaner, greener and safer overview and scrutiny committee were told: "The longer term impact will be to reduce the level of maintenance that can be carried out to hedgerows and cycle path shrubs in winter."

The council could also reduce staff by axing the major route cleansing team of three people and a van and increasing the number of times major roads are swept mechanically.

Thurrock also reminded people that litter should not be dropped in the first place.