Grass growing pains

It sounds awfully to us like an excuse in the vein of “the dog ate my homework” or “there are leaves on the railway line”.

When Stanley Mccoll recently visited the graves of relatives in Western Cemetery on Perth Road, he was unhappy to note that grass had been allowed to grow wild around the headstones. To the casual observer, the cemetery looks rather neglected. According to Dundee City Council the decision not to cut the grass was then deliberately to “enhance the biodiversity” of the area. Cynics – or, indeed, anyone with experience of local authority services – might wonder whether that is actually code for “we can’t afford to cut the grass”.

The Scotsman is very much in favour of environmental improvement but sure there are more appropriate places for the experiment to be carried out?

That some of those who visit the cemetery are upset by the condition suggests that appropriate sensitivities have not been considered. There are, we have no doubt, many locations across Dundee where the local council could act to enhance biodiversity. Cemeteries, we would submit, are not among them.