It seems that City of York Council is damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t cut the grass!
Whichever path is taken, there will always be some people who are are upset.
Mr Harbisher complained about the cutting of flowers and grasses on Knavesmire (Knavesmire mowing strips bees of food, Letters, July 24).
A couple of days earlier, it was the lack of cutting beside the city walls on Lord Mayor’s Walk that upset your correspondent John Aked (Beautiful walls walk is now covered in weeds, July 22).
John Aked's photo of the 'unkempt' city walls at Lord Mayor's Walk
I would like to congratulate the council in carrying out a hay cut on the Knavesmire last week, however.
The flowers have practically all gone.
But both grass and flower seeds will have set and will have time to fall on the ground.
By taking away the hay, new growth will be possible and we will continue to have flowers next year, including the lovely display of meadow buttercups in the spring.
The area that has been cut is mainly ridge and furrow grassland.
It will date back to when the Knavesmire was used as common grazing, probably a few hundred years ago.
Mr Harbisher should compare the quality of the grassland under the trees on the Knavesmire which is cut once a year in autumn and left to lie on the ground.
The vegetation is mostly nettles, docks and cow parsley as these are species which survive under a layer of mulch.
The main area of the Knavesmire I would agree should be left longer, as there are many flower species which seldom get a chance to shine.
Sara Robin, Wentworth Road, York
Knavesmire grass cutting was obviously for the TV cameras
Colin Harbisher’s letter in Saturday’s letter page (‘Knavesmire mowing strips bee’ of food, July 24) asked why at the hight of summer people would choose to destroy the habitat of billions of insects /wild life / plants and birds by mowing the meadow?
It’s simple - the impression given to the 30,000 attendees at the racecourse for McFly’s concert and to the crowds attending the races with all the money and prestige it reaps.
We wouldn’t want the visitors to York to view the untidy grass on TV.
And after all the council has bent over backwards to please the bees. Haven’t you noticed boxes of flowers scattered around the city?
DM Deamer, Penleys Grove Street, Monkgate, York
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