A WILDLIFE group has praised Bradford Council's decision to allow areas of green space in the district to grow wild.

The Council has announced that there would be reduced grass cutting and maintenance in areas of some parks and grass verges. Budget cuts to the service are the main reason for the changes, but the Council has also highlighted the benefits, saying the new wildflower areas would attract a more varied flora and fauna.

The Parks and Green Space service's annual report says: "“Areas of long grass under trees, on bankings and in designated areas, would be considered the norm.

"Plants previously considered as weeds would be welcomed as diverse flora.”

Weeds or 'diverse flora?' Areas of Bradford's parks will be left to grow wild

In response to the changes, Ellie Barham, West Regional Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, says: “We applaud Bradford Council for their plans to create more wildlife-friendly green spaces; particularly their reduction in chemical use which we know is a significant contributor to insect decline.

"Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is aware that creating wilder spaces can be a struggle, as they are often misunderstood and viewed as messy and unmanaged.

"However, these wild areas provide valuable refuges for wildlife, which is especially important in urban areas.

"In fact, many plants that are regarded as ‘nuisance weeds’ by most of us are actually vital for many insects and threatened wildlife.

"It’s so positive to see a local council recognising this, as well as the need to shift public understanding that natural, wild spaces work much better for wildlife.”

When the Telegraph & Argus reported on the new direction of parks maintenance earlier this week, we polled our readers on whether they supported plans for wildflower areas.

Out of the 450 who responded, 69 per cent said they were in favour of the plans.