New roadside grass cutting trials to be launched in Horsham

West Sussex County Council is launching a project called ‘Greenprint’ to explore new mowing methods which could lead to products from highway grass cuttings being used as road surfacing material.

Starting this month, highway teams will be trialling new ‘cut and collect’ verge maintenance routines in Horsham, as well as in Aldwick, Bersted and Pagham.

A council spokesperson said: “We currently cut these verges five times a year but leave the cuttings on the ground. This allows the nutrients to go back into the soil, encouraging grass growth. By removing the cuttings this season, we expect to reduce the soil’s fertility, slowing grass growth and enabling a wider variety of plant life and pollinators to thrive.

“Slowing the grass’s growth also reduces the need for future cuts, which enables us to investigate potential carbon savings in our maintenance programme as part of the trial.

"Increasing the variety of plants growing in grass verges between cuts should also increase the capture and storage of carbon in the soil below, adding to climate benefits.

“In Horsham, we will be trialling four cut and collects this growing season and in Aldwick, Bersted and Pagham the grass will be cut and collected five times. This slight difference between the town and the three parishes will enable the county council to compare the two maintenance regimes and their respective benefits.”

The council will be measuring the yield of cuttings and then working with scientists to explore ways in which the cuttings can be used in the production of biochar – a substance produced from a heating process and is a carbon-rich, charcoal-like material, which could be used in the production of road surfacing materials.

International conservation charity Plantlife has been carrying out surveys at six verges in Horsham and six rural verges around the county to accurately measure the effects of collecting cuttings on the soil and wildflower diversity.

Plantlife spokesman Mark Schofield said: “Successes here could be multiplied up across Britain’s 260,000 hectares of verge along 400,000km of road network with the potential to transform our roadsides into vital wildlife corridors.”

County council cabinet member for highways Joy Dennis: “I’m keen to see the results of these trials which are another good example of how we are constantly looking at ways to decarbonise our operations in our quest to become carbon neutral by 2030 – one of our key priorities.

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“These may seem relatively small-scale, experimental steps, but they could be vital in informing the way forward for this innovative project.”

The council spokesperson added: “Residents may notice a change in the appearance of the verges due to the changes we’re trialling. Feedback from residents and other local stakeholders are welcome and will form part of the trial.”

The project is part of ‘ADEPT Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK’, which is a three-year, UK-wide £30million programme funded by the Department for Transport.