No Mow May
No Mow May - Supporting Plant and Wildlife
What is No Mow May?
As part of our Planet Corporate Plan objective, Fair Oak & Horton Heath Parish Council is proudly supporting Plantlife's annual #NoMowMay campaign.
Throughout May, we will suspend grass cutting in parts of our Parish, allowing grass and wild plants to grow naturally. This will provide a much-needed boost for wild plants, insects and other wildlife whilst helping to tackle pollution and lock away atmospheric carbon below ground.
Why We're Supporting No Mow May
The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. At Fair Oak & Horton Heath Parish Council, we recognise that nature is essential to our lives – from the food on our plates to the clothes we wear, from medicines to mental health benefits.
By supporting No Mow May, we're taking practical local action to:
- Restore nature across our Parish
- Support biodiversity for future generations
- Help stabilise our changing climate
- Protect our community's way of life
Why May Matters
May is a key month for plants, insects and other wildlife in Fair Oak & Horton Heath:
- Warmer soils encourage grass and plants to start shooting up
- Wildflowers and weeds blooming provide an important food source for pollinators
- Early-season nourishment helps insects expand their populations
- Dandelions become a superfood for our local bees and butterflies
Benefits to Our Community
Allowing grass to grow longer in May creates numerous benefits for our Parish:
Wildlife Benefits
- Flowering plants provide vital nectar sources for insects
- Seeds become available for our local bird populations
- Creates varied habitats and wildlife corridors across Fair Oak & Horton Heath
- Supports and enhances biodiversity within our Parish
Environmental Benefits
- Helps alleviate flooding – longer grass slows water flow during heavy downpours
- Protects against soil erosion caused by rainfall, wind and heavy footfall
- Provides natural cooling during hot weather through evapotranspiration
- Captures carbon emissions and locks carbon in our local soils
- Absorbs pollution and improves air quality throughout our Parish
Our No Mow May Schedule
Grass cutting will be suspended in parts of our Parish from Thursday, 1st May 2025, resuming from Monday, 2nd June 2025.
Please note: We operate a fortnightly grass cutting cycle, so it will take a few weeks to complete all mowing across the Parish following the No Mow May suspension.
Areas Included in No Mow May
We will suspend grass cutting in all areas of the Parish under our responsibility, except for:
- Children's play areas with equipment/apparatus
- Fair Oak Cemetery
- Sports pitches (both formal and informal kick-about areas with goalposts)
- New Century Park (as this occupies the Splashpad, Play Area and informal kickabout)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this just a cost-saving exercise?
Definitely not. Our team will still be cutting grass across other parts of the Parish and carrying out their regular duties. The campaign is about the Council leading the way and doing "our bit" to help local biodiversity.
Are you cutting the grass the same number of times as previous years?
With our changing climate, we are taking a flexible approach. Weather conditions (i.e. excessive rain and drought) mean we can't always cut the grass as planned, and the number of cuts throughout the year may be adjusted. We keep this under constant review to best meet this challenge.
Is it counterproductive to allow these small ecosystems to develop and then mow in June?
The main purpose of No Mow May is giving plants the chance to flower and provide vital nectar and pollen for insects at a key time of year. It also allows some plants to set seed, improving future species diversity.
Although No Mow May provides a brief respite, it is significantly better than continuing to mow throughout this period. The UK's insect population has suffered drastic declines in recent decades, and every action we take helps protect and restore our local wildlife.
Will grass cuttings be removed once mowing resumes?
No, we're not able to remove grass cuttings due to our current mowing equipment. Our practice in most areas of the Parish is to leave cuttings in situ, allowing them to rot down and release nutrients back into the soil. These nutrients help grass to thrive, providing flood alleviation, protection against soil erosion, natural cooling, carbon absorption, and habitat provision.
How You Can Get Involved
Taking part in No Mow May is simple, no matter the size of your garden:
- Leave your lawn to grow wild throughout May
- Give short and long grass plants a chance to flower
- Provide extended nectar sources for insects
Even if you can only leave a small section of your garden to grow wild, it all helps our local environment.
