7.13 Grass verges, shrubs and ground cover planting

Planting within roadside verges and pavements is an important means of maximising the benefits of greenery and making the best use of available land.

The conventional, neatly mown, ornamental grass verge must not be a feature of new developments. Instead, opportunities should be taken on all green spaces, however small, to maximise biodiversity and introduce a wide mix of species, including flowering plants.

Opportunities should also be taken to rehabilitate existing verges, ditches, and green spaces to maximise biodiversity and introduce a wide mix of species, including flowering plants.

Guidance on planting these areas is set out below:

For new verges, a species rich or wildflower mix, appropriate to the local soil and environmental conditions should be used to establish ground cover. Over time, a suitable native plant mix will become established, providing that good management practices, such as limited mowing, are followed. Further guidance can be found in The Good Verge Guide [Reference 29].

Perennial species should be used to ensure longevity and reduce ongoing maintenance. Annual species must not be used unless as part of an agreed and funding maintenance plan.

Grass should not be used where pedestrian use is likely to be high, hard surfacing or robust shrubs will be more appropriate in these locations. Reinforced grass can be used to strengthen grass verges in these situations.

Amenity grass should only be used in accessible recreational areas, such as parks or parklets, or areas for sitting and gathering. It should not be used for verges or purely ornamental reasons.

For grass, 100-150mm of good quality topsoil must be provided. 25-50mm of topsoil must be provided for wildflowers to successfully grow.

Maintenance or construction work taking place on grassed areas should be in line with the DfT reinstatement guidance and must ensure replacement of the existing turf or re-seeding with the same, or more appropriate species mix [Reference 30]. Protective measures will be required to reduce impact and damaged areas must be returned to their previous condition.

Narrow verges that are a result of ‘space left over from planning’ (SLOAP) must be avoided. They are difficult to maintain and often become neglected. Verges that demarcate pavements from carriageways must be a minimum of 1m and very short lengths should be avoided. Smaller areas can function effectively as small SuDS features, such as rain gardens.

Surrey County Council supports the Blue Campaign which encourages residents identify local grass verges that are suitable for rewilding by the Council. Further details of the scheme can be found on the Council’s website [Reference 31].

References

• Reference 29: Plantlife (2016) The good verge guide (Return to content for reference 29).
• Reference 30: Department for Transport (2019) Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways (Fourth edition) (Return to content for reference 30).
• Reference 31: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roadworks-and-maintenance/trees-grass-and-hedges/grass/the-blue-campaign-increasing-biodiversity-in-grassverges (Return to content for reference 31).