Lancaster City Council is working hard to get the district looking its best and ready for what promises to be a bumper summer season.
All the indications are that there will be an increase in staycations with people desperate to get out and about and visit the beautiful and historic destinations in Lancaster, Morecambe and surrounding countryside.
The city council is currently working hard to complete a high volume of grounds maintenance tasks on land it is directly responsible for, such as local parks and Morecambe promenade, to get the district looking its best.
Every day of the week council staff are working from 5.30am until 9.30pm cutting grass, picking litter, planting flower beds and emptying the 1,320 public bins across the 222 sq miles that the district covers.
One positive improvement has been due to changes in the way the council manages open spaces, with the introduction of a new grassland management strategy.
This has seen grass being allowed to grow in some areas to encourage more wildflowers and support biodiversity.
In those areas most frequented by tourists, including Morecambe promenade, grass will continue to be cut to a regular schedule as will sports pitches and other well used areas.
While Lancaster City Council doesn’t have direct control over the issue of weeds on pavements and roads, it understands that Lancashire County Council is planning to undertake some weed control in the town and city centres in the coming weeks.
The city council is also supporting a community clean-up taking place in central Morecambe this Friday (June 18) along with the many others regularly undertaken by residents.
Councillor Dave Brookes, cabinet member with responsibility for the environment, said: “The council’s grounds maintenance teams do a fantastic job and are working hard throughout the 222 sq miles we cover and getting through the remaining jobs as quickly as possible.
“For example, this week people can expect to see us on Morecambe promenade planting, cutting grass, weeding and planting up the flower beds.
“In some areas we’re also planting wildflower seeds or leaving grass to grow as part of our grassland management strategy. This means some areas may look bare for now, but it won’t be long before they’re filled with an abundance of colour and this will also help to increase biodiversity and provide food for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.”
The grassland management strategy was developed in consultation with environmental consultants Stephenson Halliday. Every area of outdoor space in the district has been mapped to ensure it reaches its fullest potential in relation to biodiversity.
More information on the new grassland management strategy, can be found at Lancaster.gov.uk/grassland-management where you will also find information on the benefits of the new strategy and how often the grass will be cut, the machinery used and a video featuring key partners.
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