The latest phase of the County Hall grounds redesign is underway throughout spring, bringing more birds and other wildlife to central Dorchester.
New planting beds either side of the main entrance were designed to complement the existing areas, providing a low maintenance plant-life habitat for butterflies and other insect life.
This is not just good news for nature conservation, it will also enhance the Colliton Park setting and provide better long-term value for money than the beds they are replacing, which are overgrown and require more regular maintenance.
The scheme has been drawn up by the county council’s natural environment team in consultation with the Dorset branch of Butterfly Conservation, who has donated £400 towards the cost of the project.
Dorset County Council’s grounds services will construct the garden, which will then be planted out by County Hall staff in their own time. The plants will be sourced from local nurseries where possible, and many of them are drought resistant, which means they will be more efficient to maintain.
Robert Gould, cabinet member for environment, said:
“As well as providing an attractive and interesting new welcome for visitors to County Hall, the arrangement will provide an educational feature that can help people to understand the importance of butterflies and moths to the ecosystem. As well as being part of nature’s food chain, butterflies and moths are important pollinators for many garden plants and food crops, and they are key to our cultural heritage.”
With 72 per cent of UK butterfly and moth species declining in number in the past decade, partly due to a loss of habitat, their conservation is important.
As part of the new design the existing enclosed garden area near the car park will be made more appealing with a gravel surfaced area, with a central focal point of relocated boulders edged with flowering plants.
In approximately ten years the scheme will require gradual replacement which will be carried out by the phased division of some herbaceous species and the cutting back of others.
Further information on the plants used and their value to nature conservation will be available on the Dorsetforyou website.
Tony Harris, Dorset County Council senior landscape officer, said:
“This project is further evidence that the county council are trying to address and take a lead in cost effective land management and sustainable development.
“It represents a coordinated approach to the design of public space, and will hopefully inspire other bodies and members of the public to consider how they use their outdoor spaces.
“In these hard financial times this is felt to be a more appropriate way to design and manage these types of public space”.
