Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Harness power of green verges

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It’s great to see community spirit in Alvechurch channelled into “green” things like litter clearance and making the village as plastic-free as possible.

A pilot project in Lincolnshire now shows it is possible for country lane verges to produce energy and organic fertiliser. How about it, Alvechurch?

All these miles of pretty country lanes; if the verge mowing is delayed until haymaking time when the wildflowers have set seed, then, gathered in, the shredded debris can be left to cook in anaerobic digester vessels, producing methane to be burnt for power generation and compost for local farmers to spread on their land.

Removing the debris cut from the verges stops build-up of nutrients and domination of the verges by coarse vegetation, making the lanes even more beautiful in summer – proving to the naysayers that conservation pays and produces.

Nag the council to look at getting the appropriate mowers and grants.

David Fernie, Kings Norton