More plans for more nature recovery in South Oxfordshire 

South Oxfordshire District Council has increased the area of its land being used for nature recovery by almost a fifth since last year. 

In 2022 the council took the decision to establish a meadow management approach to selected green spaces and not to mow them during the spring and summer months. Since then, it has gradually added more sites to its meadow areas and extended some existing ones, following recommendations from residents, town and parish councils and council members.   

The council chooses locations which are not used for sports or play and do not impact on pedestrians or sightlines for drivers. They are also near shorter grass areas. 

There are now eight ‘Let it bee’ meadow areas which are left unmown and a further six wildflower meadow area sites which are actively sown with wildflower seeds to encourage growth. Together these sites cover more than 39,059m² of land owned or managed by the council’s grounds maintenance team. This is up from just over 32,000m² last year. 

Land at Foxhall Manor in Didcot has been added to the list of ‘Let it bee’ meadow area sites. While two existing sites – Fane Drive in Berinsfield and Radnor Road in Wallingford have been extended. 

Andrew Busby, South Oxfordshire District Council Head of Development and Corporate Landlord, said “We know that wildflower meadows are an important habitat for wildlife and vital for encouraging biodiversity.  Our staff are working hard to increase the amount of land we devote to nature recovery while also maintaining land for people to use as having access to outdoor space is important for health and wellbeing. We have shown that with the right management we can achieve both.”

More info on our meadows for nature recovery webpage here.