road verges on rural roads - NERC Open Research Archive ...

Whereas certain plants in certain places are undesirable or cause a hazard,
this should not in the 20th Century brand them as universally objectionable.
The question of what is or is not a weed under given circumstances is still
treated highly subjectively, whereas there would be advantages if the existing
knowledge about the characteristics of these plants were applied objectively.
This applies particularly in relation to agricultural weeds and to 'amenity'
weeds as described above.
CONSERVATION
Whereas ten or even five years ago it would have been unusual (but m t
impossible) to find a County Highway Department that considered or was
sympathetic to wildlife conservation as a factor in <strong>road</strong>side management, it
was encouraging in 1972 to discover a wide measure of interest in conservation
as a useful function of the land associated with highways.
Eleven counties (Cambridgeshire, Devonshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight,
Kent, Leicestershire, Surrey, West Sussex, Worcestershire, North Riding and
West Riding of Yorkshire) had policy documents, minutes of County Council and
Departmental meetings or instructions to mower operators, that specifically
referred to conservation. It is possible that other counties also had similar
documents which were not available at the time of the survey. In addition the
majority of counties had some degree of liaison with the County Naturalists'
Trust and arrangements for protecting sites of particular wildlife interest.
The importance of areas such as <strong>road</strong>sides in the conservation of wild
plants and animals has been widely recognised by the public as well as by
ecologists, and was discussed by a number of authors at the symposia on Road
Verges already referred to; in discussing the importance for Conservation
generally of these areas, emphasis was placed on management. It follows,
ipso facto, that the interests of wildlife conservation are further reasons
for the sympathetic management of <strong>road</strong>side <strong>verges</strong> by Highway Departments.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
In formulating their verge maintenance programmes counties are clearly
influenced by what people (either in organisations, or individually) say they
want. Where there is a conflict of interests, grounds for taking one course
of action or another are necessary. In so far as the wishes of the people can
be identified, satisfying public opinion is a good reason for managing <strong>road</strong>sides.
It has been said that conservationists want the <strong>verges</strong> left alone, town
dwellers want them kept as lawns, farmers want them cultivated, and Highway
Departments want to save cash. Whilst in practice there is not quite this