Rob Batiste: ‘Is rewilding simply manifesting neglect?’

Let’s get it out there right away. I am not a big pollinator fan.

I understand their arguments and respect their increasingly influential views, but the ‘rewildist’ community has grown out of control to the point that my island is looking a right mess and it is getting worse.

While I also have to recognise that the older I get the bigger and angrier the bees under my bonnet get, surely it’s not just me who is tiring of watching Guernsey, once renowned for its neatness and cleanliness to top up the natural beauty, going to pot.

Worryingly, nobody who can affect this demise is doing much about it and, with money tight, budgets ever-tightened, we can expect things to get worse.

More than anything, it is the weed-choked pavements and roadsides which bug me.

Across the island, tall weeds are being allowed to fill roadside nooks and crannies, while often blocking the draining system and increasing flooding when the heavy downpours arrive.

We are not alone in facing this – I will get to the UK issues later – but having just spent a few days in our bigger sister isle, it does not readily appear to be a problem over there.

Jersey, for all its faults, takes pride in its roadsides and pavements and the country parish centres are superbly kept. I just wish St Sampson’s and the area around the Bridge was the same.

So, the big question.

What exactly is happening, other than nature being allowed to take over?

I’ve been doing a bit of digging and, clearly, the roadside issue is a problem for all the parishes, worsened by the wet summer.

The situation with regard to hedges is simple enough and the law states they need to be cut back twice a year.

I quote the legislation: ‘Hedges and trees bordering a public road must be cut back between 1 and 15 June and between 15 and 30 September each year in order that they do not overhang the public road up to the height of 12ft from the road (where the road is ordinarily used by vehicular traffic) or 8ft from the road (where the road is not ordinarily used by vehicular traffic).

‘By law, all cuttings must be cleared immediately.

'It is the responsibility of the land owner to keep all hedges and trees trimmed and under control throughout the year, not just at inspection time.’

Well, that’s all very fine but in an age when the vast majority of the hedge-cutting is carried out by hired tractors, the hedges get cut back and the debris is left lying there to clutter waterways and drains.

But the key thing is ‘bordering’ – the bit in front of the hedges and walls, which is the responsibility of States Traffic, which used to contract out to States Works to clean.

And, of course, while the civil service continues to grow, States Works shrinks.

Then there is the question of weedkillers.

Before they banned glyphosate, the States used to send out a chap on a quad bike to spray the weeds. That’s been stopped apparently.

Frustrated with the situation, some parishes have contemplated asking property owners to clean their bits between hedge and road/pavement, but I have it on good authority that Traffic and Highways isn’t keen on that as it could mean civilians being in the road and risking themselves along, say, Braye Road, as they try to do their civic duty.

Ah... Braye Road.

Have you seen it lately?

The weeds and pampas grasses are going up as quickly as the houses being squeezed in on every bit of remaining field.

The douzaines may have clout when it comes to hedges, not so with regard to the pavements.

If douzaines choose to leave a ‘Get this cut’ notice, householders can rightly say that the parish doesn’t have the authority to do that.

An alternative is for the douzaines to employ staff or a contractor to do the job for the States, but that would come at a cost of multiple tens of thousands, which would have to be authorised at a parish meeting and then put on the rates.

That couldn’t happen before next March, which is when the parishes set their remedes, or budgets.

Each of the 10 parishes would have to agree to that separately and you do wonder whether there is the manpower available to carry out the work if all 10 went for it.

What’s more, can you honestly see parishioners voting for increased rates when the vast majority of them will (rightly) be expecting the States to do the work?

All this is to the background of the nationwide trend to rewild wherever possible.

Weed-choked pavements are angering residents in many UK towns too and in Brighton they have been looking at possibly using the herbicide-free Foamstream, an eco-friendly weedkiller that works by using heat.

Brighton council has also been trialling mechanical sweepers, weed-rippers and strimmers with weed-ripping brushes.

Bristol council trialled vinegar as an alternative but, while it worked, residents complained about the smell.

Here, Alliance has been doing a roaring trade this year in white vinegar. I can vouch that, combined with salt and a spot of Fairy Liquid, it as an ideal alternative to the traditional nasty weedkillers.

Even Alan Titchmarsh, believes that the rewilding is being overdone, apparently telling a House of Lords investigation that it was an ‘ill-considered’ trend.

How will it end and is rewilding simply manifesting neglect?

I hope not.

To finish.

Undoubtedly, what are two significant concerns for Guernsey are:

1. if the growth affects traffic lines of sight creating danger; and

2. that gutters are actually disappearing as they are so overgrown. That will pose a big flood risk in the winter.

As for the overgrown grass verges and dead weeds along our eastern front and many of the coastal areas, I’ll leave that moan and groan for another day.