We had a beautiful evening for our first verge walk of the season and identified some 50 species on the verge on the minor road we surveyed just north of Caw Gap.

The National Pollinator Strategy for England, published earlier this year, recognises the valuable role of verges as a resource for pollinators and, as part of this strategy the Highways Agency have committed to restore and enhance 3,500 ha of verges by 2021.

However there is little evidence of enlightened verge management on some of the major roads in our area.
The Hexham Courant has recently published a couple of letters from residents concerned about early-season cutting and STS has been contacted by members who have witnessed weed-spraying and mowing on roadsides known for their display of orchids.

The Land is Ours (TLIO, http://tlio.org.uk/ ) campaigns peacefully for access to land, its resources, and the decision-making processes affecting them.
The campaign publishes an occasional magazine, The Land, written by and for people who believe that the roots of justice, freedom, social security and democracy lie not so much in access to money, or to the ballot box, as in access to land, and thus to energy, water, nourishment, shelter, healing, wisdom, ancestors and a grave!
TLIO also has its own planning office, Chapter 7, which offers free planning advice for smallholders, caravan dwellers, and other low impact and low income people with planning problems. They have an extensive library of planning law and policy documents, appeal decisions and case law and publish their own DIY planning handbook. http://tlio.org.uk/chapter7/ Phone: 01297 561359