More tree planting and rewilding in Worthing supported

Worthing Borough Council has pledged to look for more land for projects such as tree planting and rewilding after receiving a petition signed by more than 1,000 people.

The petition stressed the need to provide habitat and food for the UK’s dwindling insect population, pollinators such as bees and some butterflies, and local wildlife.

Tabled by Emma Cameron, chair of the Worthing Climate Action Network, it was considered at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday (July 14).

Ms Cameron shared a number of suggestions with councillors, including the idea of helping to attract insects by leaving roundabouts and verges unmowed from March until late summer, if safe to do so. Other suggestions included the creation of mini forests, working with school to create wild flower areas, and promoting the principles and benefits of rewilding to the public.

Ms Cameron also raised the ideal of installing a living wall in Montague Place, similar to the one at Piries Place car park, in Horsham.

She said: “I am aware that things have been changed and there is less mowing and some areas in parks are being left to grow long, which is great.

“We really appreciate that but I think there’s more that we can do.”

Leader Daniel Humphreys thanked Ms Cameron for the petition and said she was ‘very much pushing at an open door’.

He pointed out that, as well as declaring a climate emergency, the council was already making progress on such issues via its Platforms for our Places strategy 2020-22.

This included mapping out council-owned land for community growing projects, tree planting and rewilding.

He said the council looked forward to working with the Climate Action Network on the subject over the coming months and years.

Members voted to reaffirm the council’s position on mapping its land and agreed a progress report would be produced in December.

An amendment from Helen Silman (Lab, Heene) calling on the council to recognise the rapid decline in insects in the UK, protect and create habitat where pollinators and other insects would thrive, and work with the likes of the Sussex Wildlife Trust to identify sites for rewilding within six months, was voted down.

Thanking Ms Cameron and everyone who signed the petition, Mr Humphreys said: “I do hope they’re reassured that we’re already mapping a course towards this, that we are making progress and this is something that we’re committed to do.

“There is a genuine commitment from this council to improve biodiversity, to improve our policies and practices in all sorts of environmental areas.”

Speaking after the meeting, Ms Cameron said she would have liked to have seen Mrs Silman’s amendment approved but was ‘delighted that all councillors welcomed and were generally supportive of the petition aims’.

She added: “We will continue working with the council to make sure we move forward with Wilding Worthing.”