Independent councillor Evelyn Parsons wants the area's grass-cutting contracts to be reviewed, with a focus on the timing and frequency of the cuts. Grass verges and grassy banks should be managed to promote pollination, Parsons believes.
Such a move must also allow for children's green playing areas to be maintained, while remaining focussed on public safety and road visibility.
"Public safety and road visibility is of paramount importance as well as ensuring adequate mowed green areas for children to play out during the summer," Parsons said. "With those two prerequisites I’ve called for more areas to be identified, mapped and designated Pollination Zones within Ballinasloe and this would involve in many instances doing less and allowing some wild meadows, grassy banks and road verges to self seed with native wildflowers and flora."
Parsons believes that such measures are necessary if we are to cope with the biodiversity crisis we currently find ourselves amid. The measures would provide crucial feeding and nesting areas for bees and other wildlife.
The reduction of safe nesting sites has placed as many as a third of Ireland's bee species under threat of extinction, Parsons highlighted.
"The loss of pollinators affects our crops, our agri-food, our farmers' incomes, our wildlife, our wider economy and nature's imbalances affects our environment and health as we have seen dramatically during this pandemic," she said.
