City resident urges drivers to ‘stop parking on grass verges’
AN angry resident in the north of Glasgow is urging drivers in the city to stop parking on grass verges, amid an alleged decline in bluebells.
David Jamieson has lived in Lambhill for 15 years.
Until a couple of years ago, his street was lined by a “big beautiful carpet” of bluebells.
However, since the first lockdown ended, a surge in cars parking on the grass verges has prevented their growth.
The 59-year-old said: “Here in Glasgow, it seems to be a big problem - cars parked on verges impact the ground and destroy them, so they can’t actually grow.
“A couple of years ago, we had a beautiful big carpet of them.”
Mr Jamieson said he was in touch with councillor Robert Mooney and spoke to police officers in the area in attempt to have laws protecting bluebells enforced, to no avail. “Mostly it’s a result of households in the area who own multiple vehicles, and although the road is wide enough, they’ve got into the habit of parking on the verges.
“In Glasgow, they used to be a very common sight, and now, because of all this, it’s destroying it.
“That has a knock-on effect on the actual environment and the wildlife, they are important for the pollinators, which are also declining.
“If we get people to stop parking on verges, then it can regenerate.”
The Woodland Trust website confirmed the flower, whose nectar butterflies and bees feed on, would be under threat locally from habitat destruction.
Although it is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), it is only the digging up of the plant or bulb that is prohibited, according to the trust.
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “We don’t have a record of bluebells growing in this area, but we would welcome any further information from the resident on where they have been sighted.
“Damaged flowers can take time to recover and we can help to ensure areas of bluebell growth are managed appropriately.
“Bluebells are found in good numbers across the city and are prevalent in older, native woodland, but can also be found on open grasslands and around hedgerows.
“We always seek to protect native blue populations wherever possible.”