'More work needed to bring people on board' council told following criticism of Larne Town Park rewilding
Just 15 per cent of residents supported Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s “rewilding” of Larne Town Park which saw grass left uncut last summer, a report to councillors says.
The Environmental Performance and Carbon Footprint Report 2025/26 was before the council’s Environment and Economy Committee on Wednesday.
The report noted the findings of a public consultation into a “nature recovery plan” for Larne Town Park, Glenarm Road. It stated: “More work needed to bring people on board.”
Grass in the park has since been cut.
The council explained at the time: “This plan aims to provide a framework to allow both nature and people to enjoy this beautiful park, safely together. We would like to ensure we are meeting the needs of all users of the park.”
The council’s Nature Recovery Action Plan includes “leaving designated areas of amenity grass uncut to form seed heads and flowers, and planting areas of native wildflowers”.
It added: “These areas will be managed according to meadow management guidelines, including cutting regimes.”
It also highlighted the “creation of pollinator friendly habitat through thoughtful planting choices and bedding” and allowing “appropriate deadwood to stay in-situ providing habitat for invertebrates, this will be contained to areas within existing woodland”.
However, Larne Renovation Generation, a group of volunteers, which has been working to improve the appearance of the town, expressed concern over the “messy” town park when the public consultation was launched last August.
Larne Renovation Generation said at the time: “We were the first group to work with the council on re-wilding a small section of the park ten years ago, but we did not imagine this would be extended right across the park. It looks messy.”
The group also pointed out dog owners would “not be able to clean up after their dogs in the long grass” and it will be “impossible to do a proper litter pick on the grass” where litter will remain “buried”.
This week’s committee report noted there was “not significant support for re-wilding of the park but further options are being considered”.
The local authority has recently awarded a contract for grass cutting in parks and cemeteries throughout Mid and East Antrim.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter