Summer has arrived finally, and the spring growth of wildflowers along our verges is looking especially lovely at this time of year.

Some cutting back of verges is necessary to maintain visibility and road safety, even though this results in loss of habitat anf biodiversity. This is the responsibility of Devon County Council. This is its policy on verge maintenance.

It seems unarguable that safety must be prioritised. Having said that, on a recent trip along the A3072 to Bickleigh, I was struck by how extensively the verges had been cut, apparently over and above safety requirements. No doubt the work is carries out by a myriad of local contracts with minimal supervision, which necessitates a broad brush, simple to follow specification. I wonder if the Highways Department could do rather better in preserving more of the natural growth along the roadsides, without prejudicing safety? It rather looks as if it might be possible.I  see that the verge maintenance policy was last revised in 2014, so perhaps it's overdue for a review.

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