Biodiversity group has its say on open spaces

The Biodiversity Group in Blairgowrie and Rattray has moved to reassure residents that the work it is doing is community-led – and is not why areas of the town are looking overgrown.

A spokesperson for the group told the Blairie:“What the Biodiversity Group does is both with and for the community and we won’t do something if the community doesn’t want it.

“There are three issues at the moment in the town which seem to have become conflated.

“The first issue is a feeling that the council’s maintenance teams are under pressure and that work is being done as quickly as possible, rather than as well as it should be done.

“This is particularly apparent around Rattray Common and Davie Park where spaces have not been fully cut.

“The second issue is that Perth and Kinross Council nominated areas to be left to grow as part of a Managed for Wildlife trial to see what would grow in these areas.

“It would appear that it is just grass that is growing but there is a survey ongoing at the moment by the council which is looking at whether these trial areas are, in fact, in the right place.

“The survey is due to reviewed in October but arguably, had it been reviewed earlier, it would not have got to the point we are currently at in Rattray.

“As has been shown by the community, Rattray Common is not the right place for this trial.

“People should be able to go out their door and enjoy the open space around them.

“The Riverside area is another area which really needs to be discussed and looked at.

“The third point is that we are in a recognised climate and nature emergency and respected scientists are highlighting that we are heading for a global food security crisis.

“Against that backdrop we really need to increase biodiversity and encourage pollinators to ensure that we can increase our own food production locally through edible planting such as fruit trees and hedges for example.

“Blairgowrie and Rattray is a rural area and surrounded by countryside but we all know our town is expanding and our green spaces are diminishing so even though things are okay now they won’t always be. We can’t become complacent.

“We need to plant for all species so that we have food in the future, grow what we can locally and help create a healthy food ecosystem for all species - and we need pollinators to do that.

“If we don’t support the bees and the butterflies then they can’t do their job and we won’t be able to grow what we need to eat.

“The Biodiversity Group is trying to work with PKC on the future of Blairgowrie and Rattray’s open spaces in a way that suits the community areas given over to biodiversity should be areas that the community agrees on.”