Elderly resident left heartbroken after Council worker destroys her floral display as Greens warn the District’s biodiversity is threatened by over-zealous maintenance
Zinnia Slade in her garden with Cllr Clare Turnbull (left) and Susan Mortimer (right)
Greens are calling for better protection of local green spaces and biodiversity after receiving multiple reports from angry residents that precious green spaces and wildlife habitats are being destroyed by over-zealous Council maintenance workers.
“We are receiving lots of reports from across the District that Council workers are taking a heavy-handed approach to maintenance of our open spaces, which goes against the Council’s stated aim of improving biodiversity,” said the Greens’ group leader at Canterbury City Council, Cllr Clare Turnbull.
One elderly resident and passionate gardener, Zinnia Slade, who has lived at Borstal Hill, Whitstable for 60 years was informed by her carer that a council contractor from Kent County Council had sprayed her beloved hollyhocks with herbicide, which destroyed them all.
“I am very upset—those flowers have been there for many years and the neighbours love them,” said Mrs Slade, who has made a formal complaint to Kent County Council.
“Both Zinnia and myself feel incredibly sad about the death of these plants. I knew instantly they had been sprayed - they turned yellow and went limp - they must have used quite a high dosage,” said Susan Mortimer, who helps tend the garden and has been a professional gardener for 18 years.
Nearby, several residents complained that a team of workers from Canterbury City Council’s specialist environmental company Canenco had chopped down five trees and destroyed the surrounding vegetation on an attractive green space in Salt Marsh Lane near Cornwallis Circle, a local bird habitat.
“I would like the trees replaced as soon as possible so we can have the birdsong back,” said local resident David Robert, who witnessed the workers sawing down the trees in March this year.
In Tankerton, anger broke out on social media in May after residents reported that a large section of mature buckhorn hedge in a green space off Marine Crescent was destroyed by Canenco without warning.
“This is probably the primary house sparrow roost in Kent and the Council have destroyed much of it for no apparent reason,” said local environmentalist Andy Taylor.
To mark the Great Big Green Week from 10th to 18th June, Greens are calling for an immediate halt to needless destruction of green spaces. They also want to see the replacement of destroyed trees, improved training for Council workers, more community gardens and a strategy for protecting local biodiversity to be agreed, published and implemented, as a matter of urgency.
“It’s good to see KCC instituting some new biodiversity-positive measures, such as letting verges grow, but the spraying of herbicides needs to be urgently reviewed,” says Cllr Turnbull.
“Canterbury City Council urgently needs an action plan which seeks to enhance biodiversity on a case-by-case basis throughout the District. This 'one size fits all' approach, which seems to revolve around the machinery Canenco has at its disposal rather than what is best for encouraging birds, insects and wildlife, is not good enough,” she said.
“This isn't just about making the District prettier, it’s about promoting the health and survival of all species - including us.”
