Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Climate Change Delivery & Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/222

Contact: Paul Wilson, Group Manager - Highway Operations, paul.wilson@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CA10).

*** Annex 4 to follow ***

To approve updated and revised policy and guidance, support proposed action and approach, endorse a call for more trial sites.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)                    Approve the updated interim Highway Verge and Vegetation Management Policy and Service Aims at Annex 1.

(b)                   Support use of guidance produced by www.plantlife.org.uk and HERO (Healthy Ecosystem Restoration Oxfordshire), including approach at Annex 4, to help further develop an incremental approach to the County Council’s management of highway grass and vegetation assets.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet considered amendment of the verge maintenance policy to improve alignment with the current Council’s key priorities and to include improved references to the management of roadside nature reserves and support for areas of local community managed biodiversity.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery & Environment, introduced the report.  It was aimed at achieving improvement in biodiversity at relatively low cost.  The Council benefitted from an evidence-based review conducted by HERO (Healthy Ecosystem Restoration Oxfordshire).  He recommended Annex 5 as an excellent one-page summary of what everyone should do.

Councillor Glynis Phillips added that the one-pager would be an excellent guide for Town and Parish Councils to follow.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Sudbury, seconded by Councillor Enright and agreed.

RESOLVED to:

(a)                Approve the updated interim Highway Verge and Vegetation Management Policy and Service Aims at Annex 1.

(b)               Support use of guidance produced by www.plantlife.org.uk and HERO (Healthy Ecosystem Restoration Oxfordshire), including approach at Annex 4, to help further develop an incremental approach to the County Council’s management of highway grass and vegetation assets.