The Parks and Open Spaces team is responsible for grass cutting of approximately 70 hectares of open space. The grass cutting season will generally be between March and October depending on weather and ground conditions.
Our grass cutting frequency, which is normally every 15 working days, is dependant on operational issues, weather conditions and other priorities. There are some areas that are only cut three times per year, these areas are cut on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council Highways.
The open spaces team are conscious of the valuable role of pollinators for biodiversity and to the food chain as a whole. We seek to amend grass cutting where feasible to allow for longer grass to grow and wildflowers to thrive in certain locations.
We are fortunate to have several colonies of beautiful bee orchids. A survey, carried out by the Ely branch of The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, counted 96 flower spicks which is a very good average for the species.
Each year our Parks and Open Spaces team waits for the orchids to flower and set their seed before mowing the areas in which they grow.
In 2022 we also spotted our first ever pyramidal orchid on council-owned land. If you spot a colony of bee orchids, or identify any other rare plants around the city, please report them to Dr Moore on 01353 664745.
Members of the Ely branch and members of Ely's University of The Third Age botany group will attend the site and confirm the identity of the plants before notifying the Open Spaces team at the council should the area need to be protected.