Cattle in Our Parks

Greenest borough adopts cattle to take care of its grass

​The new arrivals at Bedfords Park help manage species-rich meadows

Havering is one of the first London councils to call in a team of expert grazers to take over from the traditional grass and hay cut techniques as part of an innovative scheme to boost biodiversity in the borough’s public parks.

A rare and traditional breed of Red Poll cattle, native of East Anglia, have been called in to help manage the species-rich meadows at Bedfords Park - home to many protected plant, insect and bird species, including wildflowers such as Lady’s bedstraw, sneezewort, pepper saxifrage and pignut.

While the traditional hay or grass cut involves a more even and tidy cut, cattle are able to choose where they graze, which creates patches within the meadows of varying height and density and reduces the build-up of old vegetation. This allows different grasses and wildflowers to flourish. Grazing is also more sensitive to other animals that live in the grassland such as mice, voles, amphibians and reptiles.

Red Poll cattle are one of the best breeds for grazing meadows like the ones at Bedfords Park, they thrive in a diverse environment and are unaffected by the weather. They also have a gentle temperament and no horns, so they’re ideal for grazing in places like public parks.

Bedfords Park is known to be one of the best areas in Greater London and Essex for the diversity of its wildflowers. The wildflower meadow alone has had a staggering 155 species recorded in it. It’s great for other wildlife too, including ponds with protected great crested newts, woodlands with trees such as wild service, oak and hornbeam and other species such as tawny owls, bats and barn owls.

“Around half the borough is made up of parks and green spaces, so we’re always trying to stay at the forefront when it comes to using new ways to help improve biodiversity and protect our wildlife,” said Councillor Melvin Wallace, Cabinet Member for Culture and Community Engagement.

“We’re delighted to work with Natural England to implement this innovative scheme in Havering, and there are so many benefits. It will help combat the decline in the borough’s butterflies and bees while also protecting wildlife that can sometimes become victims of lawnmowers, and also save money. At a time where we’re trying to save £60 million over four years, every penny counts!” added Cllr Wallace.

The cattle belong to Roger Beecroft, a specialist grazier and wildlife consultant whose herd grazes many wildlife sites across East Anglia. “I’m really pleased to work with Havering Council to help achieve their aims of the site, and our Red Poll cattle will thrive in these wild flower meadows” said Roger.

The Council is working with Natural England to implement this scheme, which will see grazing cattle at four of the borough’s parks over ten years. The cattle will be based at Bedfords Park and also in Havering Country Park in future years.

Implementing grazing is all part of a 10-year Higher Level Stewardship agreement which has been set up with Natural England, the the government’s advisor on the natural environment. The Higher Level Stewardship agreement provides a framework for carrying out long-term environmentally friendly land management backed up by financial incentive to help landowners manage their land in a way that’s beneficial to wildlife and the landscape. The Council has worked with Natural England to create a package of Stewardship options that will benefit Bedfords Park ranging from management of species rich grassland to management of woodlands, ponds and hedgerows. The new scheme, which began last year, is supported by funding of almost £407,000 over the 10-year programme while Veolia North Thames Trust has given a further £30,000 in support of the initiative.

The cattle won’t replace staff, but will allow them to focus their efforts in other areas. The scheme is estimated to save the Council around £300,000 over ten years in management costs.

Emily Dresner of Natural England’s Thames Valley team said: “Natural England is delighted that Havering Council has signed up to a Higher Level Stewardship agreement.  The introduction of grazing at Bedfords Park is a great example of how we can work together to introduce traditional methods of land management in our city.  This kind of work provides a great opportunity to plan and deliver large scale landscape improvements that help improve both our wildlife and people’s access to nature across London’s green spaces. We look forward to working with Havering Council to ensure we maximise the benefits that Higher Level Stewardship can offer for the borough.”