Dismay after disused golf course 'rewilding' only due to faulty mower

The grass at the disused course was left to grow recently but Leicester City Council said it would not be rewilding the area

A walker who emailed a council to thank them for rewilding a disused golf course was left disappointed after the authority said the grass had not been cut due to a broken lawnmower.

Steve Walters said there was a "touch of" mowing at Western Golf Course in Leicester in the winter and "then nothing", which he thought was "great".

He said butterflies, badgers, and birds had since been attracted to the area.

The city council said it had a "duty to maintain" it and had now cut the grass.

Mr Walters has walked the course every day for the past 26 years, and has long campaigned for it to be kept as a wildlife haven.

But Leicester City Council's response, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, read: "Sorry to disappoint you, but there have been no changes to our mowing policy, our mower has broken down and we have had difficulty in sourcing parts."

Mr Walters said birds including buzzards, woodpeckers and jays had been attracted to the course recently

Mr Walters said: "On the paths, because of the footfall, the grass is compressed without needing to be mown. So they just don't need to do anything. That would be the ideal situation, if they just let it rewild."

The course was earmarked for a 446-home development in Leicester's draft local plan - a document that sets out the land that can be built on.

He added: "If you're going to build all over it at some point, OK we'll lose out, but at least nature would have been able to enjoy it for a few more years without it being mown to death."

The grass in the area has since been cut

Mr Walters, who lives in Glenfield, added: "There are a lot of initiatives, grass on the bus shelters and other headline grabbers that have a very small impact really when you've got all the acres of the golf course and other areas being mown flat.

"How does that balance? So, I'm a bit depressed about it all really."

Mr Walters would like it to become a nature area for people to enjoy, for cleaner air and the wildlife

A council said it had a duty to mow, clear footpaths and remove obstacles there.

"This is well below the level of maintenance needed to maintain it when it was a golf course, and we try to strike a balance between ensuring safe access points and rights of way, and providing for some natural habitat," a spokesperson said.

"We are not rewilding the site, but the recent warm wet weather means the grass has grown quickly."

The authority added it was not aware of any new emerging species on the site.