WORCESTER City Council has said a "conscious decision" has been made to allow some green spaces around the city to be left to grow wild this summer.

Andy Roberts, Worcestershire city councillor for Warndon South, said although there had been some confusion after a trial in his ward, generally the public has welcomed the move.

Cllr Roberts said: "In some areas we have this more managed system with areas set aside, cutting just the borders.

"There was a little bit of confusion. People are worried about neglect, it is not neglect.

"It has been almost universally well received. There are still a few people that are saying they want it to be neat and tidy - they are entitled to their view.

"But generally there has been a positive response, and councillors from around the country have even picked it up as well, asking their councils to have it too.

"I don’t see the strategy as a money saver, more a change of focus. But it could free up time to do other environmental work."

A Worcester City Council spokesman confirmed there was a move to plant wildflowers and to cut grass less frequently in some areas this year.

Some of the areas of Worcester where the wild growing is underway are: Battenhall Park open space (land between rear of Ransom Avenue and rear of Battenhall Rise); Newtown Green, known as Ronkswood Field open space (land behind Ronkswood Community Centre and Worcester Woods), A38 Droitwich Road arterial (land on eastern side of A38 between John Comyn Drive and Bilford Road), Woodgreen Drive (roundabout at Woodgreen Drive/Plantation Drive), Hastings Drive (roundabout at Hastings Drive/Stafford Avenue and Tallow Hill car park (area where tree removed).

A Worcester City Council spokesman said: "‘Following a short trial, the city-wide mowing team are expanding the number of green open space areas around the city that will be left to grow naturally. These spaces will still be cut by a short one or two mower width of grass around the perimeter, or at the verge edge, on the verge edge. This will help demonstrate that this is a deliberate process and will indicate that we are maintaining these areas. In addition, signs will be placed at these sites informing the public of what is being undertaken.

"A study by a council in Devon found that by allowing an area to grow, then in the first year cutting and collecting the arisings three or four times during the growing season, the nutrients going back into the grass were reduced. This reduced grass growing rates and increased wildflower growth. By year 3/4 they found the need to cut and collect reduced to one cut (and collect) at the end of the season. The objective is to continuously increase the number of open space areas that are managed in this way on an incremental basis over a number of years.

"This will improve biodiversity across the city promoting wildflower growth and pollinators and result in a reduction in the city-wide mowing frequency."