Submitted by Terence James Kelly on Sunday 5th April 2026
Published on Friday 1st May 2026
Current status: Open
Open until: Sunday 1st November 2026
Current Signatures: 56
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Relevant Departments
Tagged with
1 April ~ 2021 ~ April ~ Bees ~ BUTTERFLIES ~ collapse ~ Cost ~ Council ~ Cutting ~ Delivering ~ Direct ~ England ~ Ensure ~ environment ~ Essential ~ From April ~ Habitat ~ local ~ Money ~ Protecting ~ remain ~ Reverse ~ ROADS ~ Safety ~ SEED ~ September ~ The Environment
Protect road verges for wildlife — stop non-essential mowing from April to Sept
Direct all local authorities and National Highways to suspend non-essential verge mowing from 1 April to 30 September annually. Safety-critical cuts at junctions, roundabouts and crossings remain exempt. Delivered as statutory guidance to ensure consistent protection across England.
UK insect populations have collapsed by over 60% since 1970. Road verges — 400,000 hectares of potential wildlife habitat — could help reverse this, but repeated mowing destroys wildflowers before they seed, removing food and shelter for bees, butterflies and hoverflies. Some councils already mow less, with measurable results. A national policy would make protection consistent across England, at little cost — and could save councils money. It aligns directly with the Environment Act 2021.
If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.
216.73.217.179 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:30:40 +0100
