A VILLAGE-wide referendum has been held by an Exmoor parish council following controversy over how it was looking after the community green.

Timberscombe Parish Council decided to stop summer mowing of the village green after signing up to Somerset Council’s climate emergency declaration.

But it proved to be controversial among villagers, so parish councillors decided they wanted to hear the views of residents as to whether to continue the policy of not mowing during summer months.

Parish council chairman Cllr Katy Attwater said: “All local authorities have a legal duty to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity.

“The duty aims to raise the profile and visibility of biodiversity and to make it a natural and integral part of policy and decision-making.

“The parish does not receive any additional money to facilitate this duty. 

“Grass cutting must also be paid for by the parish.

“We have pursued environmentally-friendly policies, such as ‘No Mow May’, planting trees in the parish, and not using pesticides on roadside weeds.”

Cllr Attwater said the decision to not mow the village green was taken to encourage the growth of wildflowers, but she acknowledged it had resulted in divided opinions among residents.

An anonymous questionnaire was therefore delivered to each household in the village to be returned to Timberscombe Post Office, allowing one vote per home.

Cllr Attwater said: “The uncut grass proved to be a real Marmite topic, with people either loving it or hating it.”

Of the 95 people who responded, 59 per cent said they wanted the green to be cut throughout the summer months, and 40 per cent wanted it left uncut, with the remaining one per cent not supporting either option.

Cllr Attwater said: “Regardless of this result, it is now time for the grass to be cut anyway.

“The parish council will, however, bear this result in mind for next year and cut the village green regularly throughout the summer.”

Cllr Attwater said several people also made comments about the areas around the village football pitch.

However, she said the parish council could not maintain it because the football pitch and the external hedging was owned by the Church and rented by Timberscombe First School.