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Long grass in Wick is part of Highland Council biodiversity programme





A section of Wick's Bignold Park that has been left uncut this summer, much to the annoyance of some local residents. Picture: Alan Hendry
A section of Wick's Bignold Park that has been left uncut this summer, much to the annoyance of some local residents. Picture: Alan Hendry

Grass has been left uncut in Wick’s largest public park to help improve biodiversity as part of “rewilding” efforts, Highland Council has confirmed.

A large expanse at the top end of the Bignold Park has been allowed to grow to about knee height. Social media users have called it “a disgrace”, “an eyesore”, a “dump”, “absolutely terrible” and “a health hazard”.

One person warned that there had been reports of ticks. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness, and ticks are known to inhabit grassy areas.

Bignold Park was donated to the people of the town in 1903 by Sir Arthur Bignold, who served as MP for the Wick Burghs from 1900 to 1910.

Highland Council signs at two entrances to the park, containing artwork depicting butterflies and wildflowers, say it is “Managed for Wildlife”, adding (in Gaelic and English): “Natural habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.”

A Highland Council spokesperson said: “The council is working on a number of projects to improve biodiversity across Highland, including rewilding efforts in some locations to allow grass and wildflowers to grow freely.

“The long grasses provide excellent habitats for small insects and pollinators. In time, when this grass is cut and lifted from site, it will create a more nutrient poor area of ground which are the preferred conditions for natural wildflowers to grow and so a wider variety of wildflowers may emerge over time.

“This is a longer process which takes a few years of cut and lift before the habitat starts to adapt.”

In April this year, the council announced that 336 native trees were being planted in the Bignold Park as part of efforts to improve biodiversity across the region.

At that time, the council said its environment and amenities teams also were working closely on “greenspace management practices” and “how these can be optimised to ensure set-aside areas are as nature-friendly as possible”.

One of the Highland Council signs stating that the park is 'Managed for Wildlife'. Picture: Alan Hendry
One of the Highland Council signs stating that the park is 'Managed for Wildlife'. Picture: Alan Hendry

Councillor Graham MacKenzie, chairman of the communities and place committee, said: “I am delighted to hear about the amazing progress being made by these teams, and it is so heartening to see the growth of biodiversity-positive initiatives like the tree-planting project.

“It is also encouraging to hear about the collaborative discussions on how best to manage council-owned land for the promotion of wildlife and flora.”

Environment team leader Andrew Puls said: “Ultimately we would like to create a network of biodiverse greenspace sites which will provide nature stepping stones and connections through our towns and villages to the more rural, biodiverse land.”

One Wick resident commented on social media: “The area at the Bignold Park is a disgrace… I am all for biodiversity and having natural habitats for pollinators and other wildlife but I’m sure with a bit more thought from Inverness they could have found plenty of other areas around the town.”

The Upper Bignold football pitch, used regularly from April to August for amateur league and cup matches, is cut and maintained by local clubs.

In 2020, investigations by Highland Council found that some of Wick’s most prominent common good assets had been “misclassified” for decades. These include Bignold Park.

Common good assets are defined as property that belonged to Scotland’s former burghs before local government reform in 1975. They are held by councils principally for the benefit of the community of the former burgh in question.

According to a Highland Council document from 2021 about a proposed common good asset register for Wick, Sir Arthur Bignold had acquired the ground with a view “to its being utilised as a public park and recreation ground for the inhabitants of Wick and Pulteneytown”.

He gifted it to Wick “for the use and enjoyment of the inhabitants”.

The Upper Bignold football pitch is cut and maintained by local clubs. Picture: Alan Hendry
The Upper Bignold football pitch is cut and maintained by local clubs. Picture: Alan Hendry

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