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Audrey Browne placed the notice reading “Cowslips. No Mowing – Protected Species” to prevent the pretty yellow flower being cut before it has a chance to bloom. The vergeswere mowed by oper-
atives working for Kent County Council. The cowslip, which is linked to
May Day in English folklore, is now a protected species having lost key habitats due to intensive farming practices. The bright yellow flowers were
once acommonsight in Kent, cover- ing great swathes of farmland and meadow. Miss Browne planted the seeds
more than three decades ago near her home in Upper Street. The pensioner said: “I am ab- solutely furious. I put that sign up to stop them being cut and they just completely ignored it. In the past I have managed to stop them but on this occasion I got there just too late.
Fury as cowslips get the chop ‘Work with us
“My understanding from the
parish council is that they can cut a metre from the kerb, which would be fine, but they just didn’t take any notice of the sign. The cowslips will be ok for next year and it hasn’t killed them, fortunately. As far as I know, Leeds is the only village around here with lovely cowslips.” Fellow Leeds residentDave Rattan
– who cuts the cricket pitches in Leeds, Charing, Marden and Bearsted – normally cuts the verge with a strimmer later in the year and is careful to treat the plants with care.
Dave, from Meredith Close, said:
“I can’t believe what they’ve done there.
A true sign of spring
THE common name cowslipmay derive fromthe old English for cow dung, probably because the plant was often found growing amongst the ma- nure in cow pastures. An alternative derivation simply refers to slippery or boggy ground; again, a typical habitat for this plant. The species name veris
(truly) means that it is re- ally Primula (of spring). However, this is not the first primula to flower, being preceded by the primrose P. vulgaris. Other folk names include cuy lippe, herb peter, paigle, peggle, key flower,
key of heaven, fairy cups, petty mulleins, crewel, buckles, palsywort, plum- rocks, tittypines. Source: Wildlife Trusts
Scout appeal
BEARSTED Scout Group has op- portunities for volunteers. No previous experience is re- quired, as the group offers a wide range of training and support, in- cluding activities like climbing, archery and canoeing. The training is recognised by the Institute of Leadership and Man- agement – ideal for any young peo- plewanting to boost their CVs. If you are interested in joining the
adventure and making a positive impact on yourself and your local community, contact Group Scout Leader Nick Ross, at gsl@bearsted-
scouts.org.uk. The Scout group is currently join-
ing The Scout Association in cele- brating 100 years of the Cub Scout movement.
14 Maidstone East May 2016
A FURIOUS Leeds resident has demanded an explanation why roadside cowslips were cut - de- spite a sign she erected asking for the plants to be protected
to save plants’ A KENT County Council spokesman said: “We have a plan of maintenance we carry out on our own assets through- out the year. These can be found on our website. “We do our best to work
with residents when it comes to maintaining verges. How- ever, this always needs to be balanced against our need to maintain a safe highway. “For instance, if you would
“There is a chance that some of the
plants might not have appeared yet and didn’t get cut and there are some higher up on the verge bank which will be fine, but most will not come out.” TheWildlife Trusts say the drain-
ing of hay meadows and intensive agricultural practices mean that meadows soon become overgrown, shading out delicate plants such as the cowslip. The website says: “We are also working closely with farmers and landowners to promote wildlife- friendly practices in these areas. Vol- unteer for your localWildlife Trust and you could be involved in every- thing from stock watching to sur- veying meadow flowers.” A parish council spokesman said
it is not its responsibility to cut the verge but it will contact local county councillor Gary Cooke to raise the matter. Cllr Cooke said: “I’ll look into it.”
Licensing merger to cut costs
MAIDSTONE Borough Council (MBC) is to save rate-payers £45,000 by sharing services with one London and two other Kent authorities. MBChas reached an agreement with the London Borough of Bexley
to join Sevenoaks and TunbridgeWells to handle licensing operations. By sharing administration costs across the four authorities the council can make a significant saving. The licensing department covers the issuing of licences, permits for
bars and nightclubs aswell as hackney carriages and taxis. The latest move follows a trend by many councils across the United Kingdom to share services with neighbouring authorities to cut costs. The sharing of responsibilities can take in any number of functions
such as bin, collection, recycling or legal services. In this case, each of the four authorities retains its own policy on li- censing but a centralised team in Sevenoaks deals with the paperwork. Each authority’s information is held on a database centrally but ad- ministered and maintained by staff at Sevenoaks District Council. The decision was agreed at a recent meeting of the MBC communi- ties, housing and environment committee at the town hall.
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like to encourage wild flowers or plant bulbs such as daf- fodils and crocus in verges, contact us beforehand. “By communicating with us
in advance, we can ensure verges receive the appropriate frequency and timing of main- tenance visits. “Working in this way helps maximise the visual appear- ance and long term sustain- ability of verges, in addition to the environmental benefit they provide for all to enjoy. “People can contact the soft landscaping team by calling 03000 414141. “We don't look after trees, hedges and shrubs on private land, which are often located next to roads and pavements. “These will be owned by pri-
vate landowners, district coun- cils, parish councils, housing associations and private home- owners. It is the landowner's responsibility to look after these areas.”
Meeting date
for players THE Leeds Amateur Dramatic So- ciety (LADS) holds its annual gen- eral meeting at the village hall on May 19. Anyone interesting in getting in-
volved in am-dram either onstage or behind the scenes iswelcome to come along. The meeting starts at 8pm.
LADS performed Captain Hook’s
Revenge, written by Richard Cole- man, in February to rave reviews. The society will present two light-hearted plays in the gardens of The Old Vicarage at 7pm on June 17 and 18. The audience are invited to bring their own picnic, glasses and drinks.
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