A bid to increase grass cutting and restore traditional flowerbeds across Erewash has been rejected following a heated debate over civic pride, biodiversity and the cost of maintaining public spaces.
The motion, proposed by Reform UK councillor Dan Price and seconded by Cllr Paul Maginnis at Thursday evening’s Full Council meeting, called for grass cutting to return to pre-Covid standards, with at least ten cuts each year.
It also called for flowerbeds across the borough to be reinstated to their previous condition and for parks, playing fields, grass verges and roundabouts to be maintained more frequently.
The motion acknowledged the importance of designated rewilding areas but argued that wildlife protection needed to be balanced with residents’ expectations for tidy and attractive public spaces.
Following an impassioned debate, councillors voted against the proposals.
‘The appearance of a place matters’
Introducing the motion, Cllr Price said residents had contacted councillors, posted photographs online and spoken to local newspapers about the condition of grass verges, parks and flowerbeds.
He insisted the proposals were not an attack on rewilding.
“We can have wildflower meadows where they are appropriate. We can have biodiversity projects where they are beneficial, but we can also have well-kept parks, tidy verges and quality recreational spaces,” he said.
Cllr Price argued that the condition of public spaces affected civic pride, perceptions of safety and the way residents felt about their communities.
“The appearance of a place matters,” he said. “It affects pride, it affects perceptions of safety, it affects community wellbeing and it affects how people feel about where they live.”
He added: “These are not extravagant demands. They are reasonable expectations.”
Seconding the motion, Cllr Maginnis criticised the council’s approach to grass cutting following its declaration of a climate emergency in 2023.
He said some parks had deteriorated and claimed areas had previously been left with litter, dog mess and drug-related paraphernalia. He acknowledged that the number of grass cuts had since increased but argued that maintenance had still not returned to its former standard.
Cllr Maginnis also described elements of the council’s earlier approach as “woke nonsense”, prompting criticism later in the debate.
Environmental concerns raised
Green councillor Ann Mills opposed the motion and warned that restoring traditional seasonal bedding displays would use significant amounts of water, energy and other resources.
She said bedding plants could be treated with pesticides, offered limited value to bees and other pollinators and required regular watering during increasingly hot and dry summers.
“Most people, I think, now accept that going back to old bedding displays does nothing to help us reinstate biodiversity and re-engage people with nature,” she said.
Cllr Mills argued that planting and maintenance schemes should provide habitats for birds, insects and small mammals throughout the year.
“We need to encourage and support biodiversity in all our planting schemes and maintenance regimes,” she added.
Council says grass cutting has already increased
Labour councillor Mark Alfrey, whose portfolio includes environmental services, urged councillors to reject the motion.
He said the council had listened to residents and increased maintenance of a number of open spaces and grass verges during 2025.
According to Cllr Alfrey, maintenance in parks and other lived-in spaces had already returned to pre-Covid levels. He said that between April 1 and June 30, the council had received seven formal complaints about its Green Spaces service, of which four related to grass cutting.
He also pointed to Green Flag awards received by several sites as evidence of the standard of the council’s work.
Cllr Alfrey said Victoria Park had retained Green Flag status, while West Park, Straw’s Bridge and other sites had also received recognition.
“The opposition should cease talking down our green spaces and instead celebrate the hard work of Erewash Borough Council staff who deliver day after day,” he said.
Turning to flowerbeds, Cllr Alfrey said restoring and maintaining traditional annual bedding displays was estimated to cost approximately £190,000 a year.
He argued that spending close to £1 million over five years on what he described as a short-lived product would not be environmentally or financially sustainable.
Supporters call for a different approach
Conservative councillor Kewal Athwal supported the motion and praised the flowerbeds, hanging baskets and competitions maintained under previous Conservative administrations.
He said the displays had attracted compliments from visitors and helped make the borough look welcoming.
Cllr Jane White argued that successful rewilding required active management rather than simply leaving land untouched.
“A successful rewilding project is usually active restoration,” she said. “An evidence-led approach tends to produce more resilient ecosystems than simply stopping maintenance altogether.”
She also called for residents to be engaged in decisions about the treatment of public spaces.
Cllr Andrew Prince said seasonal displays should not be dismissed simply because they did not last throughout the year.
“There are plenty of things in an urban area which make it a nice place to live which are only seasonal,” he said.
Cllr Prince suggested that the previous planting policy could have been improved by using solar power, collecting rainwater and introducing compostable or biodegradable plant pots.
“If the policy wasn’t working, the policy should have been improved. It shouldn’t simply have been abandoned,” he said.
He argued that the council still had greenhouses, staff and facilities which could be used to grow and maintain flowers.
“The reinstatement of this policy is long, long overdue,” he added.
‘We are starting to see the fruits’
Labour councillor Joel Bryan criticised Cllr Maginnis for describing action on climate change as “woke” and said the council was beginning to see the benefits of its biodiversity policies.
“We are seeing more butterflies and more bees in our area, which is thanks to this policy,” he said.
Cllr Bryan said residents should have pride in their communities but argued that the answer was not to return to environmentally damaging practices.
“We always said when we started that this was going to be a three or four-year road before we started to see the fruits of it,” he said. “We are starting to get to that point. Let’s not tear it all apart now.”
Cllr Dave Snaith also opposed the motion, saying wildflower areas required time to become established and that experts had been consulted about the council’s approach.
He said the return of butterflies showed the policy was working and repeated the administration’s position that grass cutting had already returned to normal levels.
“There is no need for a motion when we are already doing it,” he said.
Claims of underspending challenged
Conservative councillor Wayne Major said the council was still struggling to cut grass correctly and argued that well-maintained surroundings could have a positive effect on people’s mental wellbeing.
He referred to the council’s latest financial outturn report and said the Green Spaces service had underspent by around £60,000, while the Street Scene service had underspent by approximately £40,000.
“The department that looks after how Erewash looks had the money to make it look better, but they’re not delivering,” he said.
Cllr Major added: “Let’s get Erewash looking neat and tidy, because it does make a huge difference to people’s wellbeing and pride in the area.”
Cllr Carol Hart said the council’s Green Spaces staff could only carry out the work they were instructed to do and argued that sponsorship could help pay for floral displays.
She pointed to hanging baskets sponsored in West Hallam and said businesses could be approached to support displays in other parts of the borough.
“I’m ashamed when I drive into Ilkeston particularly, and it just looks so drab and miserable,” she said.
Cllr Hart recalled Erewash’s previous involvement in Britain in Bloom and said council staff had taken great pride in the floral displays they produced.
Motion defeated
Responding at the end of the debate, Cllr Price said the forthcoming abolition of Erewash Borough Council through local government reorganisation meant the authority should use some of its available money to improve the borough before it is replaced.
“People just want the grass cutting and flowers back,” he said.
Councillors then voted by a show of hands, with the motion failing to secure sufficient support.
The decision means the council will not be required to introduce a minimum of ten grass cuts each year or reinstate its former annual bedding displays.
The council’s existing approach, including designated biodiversity and wildflower areas alongside its current grass-cutting programme, will remain in place.
