Victory for defenders of Stroud Green

The council stopped cutting the grass around the poplars, planted around the perimeter of the green, last year, saying it would encourage biodiversity and protect the roots from being damaged by mowers.
However, local people called on the council to reverse the policy because the green had become an eyesore and health hazard, as the long grass concealed dog faeces.
Several residents raised the issue at a meeting of Greenham Parish Council last week.
Resident Anne Peachey said that her friends from the West Country had commented on the unkempt state of the green
Mrs Peachey also said that dogs were suffering as people were finding more ticks on their pets and that children were treading in dog mess concealed in the long grass.
“It’s a health risk,” she said. “There are a lot of children who use the green and we do not know what they are running in.”
This view was also supported by parish councillor Phil Barnett, who said he had been contacted by residents commenting on how bad the area looked and that he could not recall the green being in such an unattractive state.
Parish and district councillor for Greenham, Julian Swift-Hook, said that the district council relied on experts who said that the roots were being damaged by the grass cutting, but he added: “The level of objection that has been raised is quite significant and it’s important that we support the view of residents and take their views on board.”
Parish council chairman Tony Forward said: “The overwhelming view is that the grass should be cut and maintained to a better standard.”
A spokeswoman for West Berkshire Council, Peta Stoddart-Crompton, said: “Following consultation with councillors and the parish council, the unanimous decision is to restart cutting the areas underneath the trees. This will be done within the next two weeks.
“It has also been agreed to leave an area in the centre of the green that tends to be boggy until the autumn.”
Residents at the meeting also welcomed the parish council’s plans to place bollards around the edge of the green to prevent people driving on to it.