The politician overseeing Warwick District Council's No Mow May programme has promised "big changes" for 2025 but seems keen to resist calls for whole area opt-outs.

Cllr Will Roberts, the district's portfolio holder for neighbourhood, is to meet with council officers – the employed professionals – this week to lay out a plan for the region's third shot at the national biodiversity initiative to encourage the growth of plants, wildflowers and better habitats for insects. 

Starting in 2023, grass cutting was suspended for the month of May in all areas of Warwick district except cemeteries, sports pitches, premier parks and grass paths.

It proved divisive with a backlash over the suitability of areas, highway safety and delays to cutting once June came around. 

Plans were tweaked last year and while councillors acknowledged during last week's council meeting that there had been improvements, a number continue to receive gripes from residents. 

Announcing the talks with council officers, Cllr Roberts said: "Feedback from last year will be a key part of this conversation and there will be big changes with a focus on increase in meadowing areas, removing other areas from No Mow May. 

"As with last year, a briefing note will be sent out to members in early March, highlighting the plans for you to comment on."

Cllr Adrian Barton launched a plea for verges on Whitnash Road and Heathcote Road to be kept tidy.

"It does impact the whole summer, that's what we get the most complaints about," he said.

"We do engage with No Mow May but if Whitnash could opt out on that little bit, it would be appreciated." 

Cllr Roberts replied: "No Mow May this time is going to be different.

"We are going to have big discussions about what it looks like. We will take on board the feedback, including from Whitnash and from yourself, but I will not say we will opt out areas without looking at that whole plan and coming back to you." 

Cllr Claire Wightman then asked whether entire wards would be able to seek to opt out.

"I think it is important to note that No Mow May is now part of the biodiversity action programme," said Cllr Roberts. 

"We have to be very careful about saying a whole area can opt out because I think that is a backwards step from what we want to achieve. 

"I am well aware of Woodloes, I am well aware of that feedback but like everywhere, No Mow May is Marmite – I have the same amount of people asking why aren't doing more as I do saying they are not happy with it." 

Like those before him, fellow cabinet member Cllr Paul Wightman acknowledged the benefits, the need for such a programme and the improvements made in 2024 but pressed Cllr Roberts on whether the wishes of residents were being adequately considered. 

"Particularly in All Saints and Woodloes, despite the improvements, it still fell a long way below what residents were expecting," he said. 

"It still had a detrimental impact on the quality of life of a number of residents, even the mention of No Mow May leads to a pretty full inbox of dissatisfied residents. 

"There were still safety issues at junctions and there are underlying issues with green spaces within our ward that haven't been adopted and a lower standard of care all year round which needs to be addressed. Probably the biggest issue is dog walkers and people using the space.

"Do you accept that the national initiative is about opt-in, and at the moment residents don't feel they are getting what they have paid for with their tax, that they are being coerced? Would you accept that it is not right that this initiative is something that is being imposed on residents? It should be something that they're buying into."

Cllr Roberts said there had been "several issues" that affected Woodloes specifically in 2024, not just related to No Mow May, but that he understood why the project was getting the blame for them all. 

He accepted some grass cutting, "especially in parks", had not happened as quickly as the council would have envisaged, plus other problems that were not the domain of the district council.

"Every year this is going to grow but every year it is going to change, we are learning," he added.

"This is firmly a part of the biodiversity action programme, which is part of the ecological emergency that we all declared. We have listened… let's sit down when the briefing note comes out and have a conversation."