A scheme to help local roadside verges recover and thrive as habitats for native wildlife is appealing for more parish councils to join the project.
The Urban Verges Wildlife Scheme is run by Leicestershire County Council in partnership with national wildlife recording charity, NatureSpot. It gives parish councils across Leicestershire the opportunity to take over the management of selected roadside verges in their area and improve them to encourage wildlife to thrive.
The hugely-successful scheme has been running since 2019 and currently involves 60 parish councils, and 80 individual verges.
Now, the call has gone out for new parishes to get involved, or for existing members of the scheme to increase the numbers of verges they look after.
A webinar is taking place on Wednesday 10 December from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, where interested parishes can find out more about the scheme and ask questions. It will be recorded, so that those who are unable to attend can still get the relevant information.
The deadline to get involved in the project is 31 January 2026, with the scheme kicking off again in spring.
Verges in the scheme are left to grow, allowing wildlife to recolonise and recover over time through natural regeneration or by using native wildflower seeds where needed. Verges are considered for the scheme only if they are within a 30/40mph zone, and sight lines are not affected by the planting schemes.
So far, the project has racked up more than 4,250 volunteer hours and generated almost 4,000 new wildlife records for NatureSpot in 80 locations across Leicestershire. The total area of verges in the scheme is 41,588 square metres – which is the equivalent of almost six football pitches!
Blaby topped the charts in 2025, with 60 species of plant life recorded on their verge in North Road. The species group with the highest numbers in 2025 was grasses, rushes and sedges, with 13 different species spotted.
Our Urban Verges Wildlife Scheme is a fantastic way to bring nature back into our communities and directly supports the ambitions set out in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, which was launched earlier this year.
By creating wildflower-rich verges, we’re helping pollinators thrive, boosting biodiversity, and making our streets more vibrant. I encourage every parish council to get involved and, for those already part of the scheme, to consider expanding the number of verges they manage. Together, we can make a real difference for wildlife and for future generations.
Person:Councillor Adam Tilbury, cabinet member for environment
To find out more about the scheme, submit an expression of interest or to register for the webinar, email the environment team at EnvironmentTeam@leics.gov.uk.
The team is also keen to hear from parish councils which would like to be involved in a pilot project to include additional community green spaces, not just verges, in the scheme.