Council considering action after rare orchids destroyed by new staff

FORMER Mayor Geoff Settle has welcomed an initiative to protect wild orchids in the town after a meadow of the rare flowering plants was accidentally destroyed by new council staff.

The Bee and Northen Marsh wild orchids were mown down either side of the path that goes from the bridge over the M6 and travels down to the Scout Hut of Warrington Road at Birchwood.

Geoff, Chair of Warrington Nature Conservation Forum, has received a reply from Warrington Borough Council to his written complaint (4/07/24) about Bee and Northen Marsh wild orchids areas being mowed down.

Geoff, a keen artist who had previously painted a pictured of the wild orchid meadow, said “I am pleased that Warrington Worldwide highlighted the issue in their article Former Mayor devastated after rare orchids destroyed.

“I received a reply the next day, 5 years after a similar one I raised in June 2019. It read “Dear Geoff, Your case reference is WBC-STSV-628157743.
“Apologies for this lapse, we are as keen as you to see the orchids thrive and multiply. The issue is caused by our difficulty in keeping the same staff mowing the same areas from year to year.
“New staff members are not aware of the presence of the orchids and in the fog of running a large-scale landscape maintenance operation, these details get overlooked.
“We are considering installing some simple indicators or fences to demark areas where orchids are known to grow so that staff will then not mow these areas in error.”

Geoff added: “I have seen such protection in a Yorkshire car park with photos of the various species the council is trying to protect and nurture. In addition, I have seen road signs on the internet for Bee-Orchids and Northern Marsh Orchids in Aberdeenshire, and they work well especially where people respect them.
“I welcome this initiative from the council and I am willing to meet up with the department at Woolston to discuss the process and procedures, just as I have with the wardens who have great knowledge and expertise.
“I would like to see more areas in Warrington left to grow wild in line with section 13 of the Wildlife act.
“On my travels recently I have found many successful displays of mini wildflower meadows. I would also like to hear of any areas in Warrington where rare flowers are growing so that they can also be protected.”
“Some great work has been done by the council on our roundabouts and I remember a wonderful display of wildflowers at the Town Hall, I even sent a photo of them into the Countryfile photographic Competition one year.”
Meanwhile, Geoff can be contacted via the website wncf.co.uk Re any nature conservation issues in the town.

Picture shows Wild Orchids at Houghton Green Pool and Geoff’s Watercolour Painting of Birchwood Bee-Orchids