Council’s ‘nightmare’ rewilding scheme brings ticks to our parks, residents claim

Locals cite fear of disease, dog mess and ‘drugs’ in an attempt to get Labour-controlled Erewash to reverse its biodiversity policy

A council’s rewilding scheme has turned its parks and green spaces into a “wilderness” filled with ticks, dog mess and nitrous oxide canisters, residents have claimed.
Erewash borough council has allowed grass to grow long, sometimes up to hip-height, in an attempt to improve biodiversity and improve the health and wellbeing of park-users.
But the scheme by the Labour authority in Derbyshire has been unpopular with some local people, who have started to cut the grass themselves with lawnmowers amid safety concerns.
Some residents have raised the fear of ticks hiding in the long grass.
In one of several written questions ahead of a council meeting on Thursday, one of them suggested people were at risk of getting Lyme disease, which is spread to humans through infected ticks.
Ms Bramley, who did not give her full name, said: “Ticks live on long grass and can attach themselves to any bare skin that brushes past them, be it a child or adult of any age.
“The results, if immediate or very early and correct removal of the tick is not carried out, can be devastating.”
Another concern was an increase of dog mess left in the rewilded areas. One resident suggested it made him “think twice” about letting his children play in a nearby park.
Mr Snowdon, who also gave just his last name, said that anti-social behaviour “has ranged from an increase in dog excrement being left in the long grass which poses a health risk to park users including my children, to increased litter including nitrous oxide canisters, a gateway to substance abuse”.
He added: “I have also witnessed high-speed electric motorbikes racing around and hiding in the park, all this contributes to a ‘broken window’ effect which is making me think twice about letting my children play in the park.
“We should be encouraging children to play outside and have a healthy mental and physical lifestyle, and this policy prevents that.”
In other written questions, residents expressed concern about elderly people falling in the long grass, wildfires, and obscured sight lines for motorists. One resident, Mr Granger, said a park had been allowed to “degenerate into a wilderness area”.
The concerns have been raised as part of a push for the council to reverse the scheme and cut the grass.
The scheme, which is called “Wild About Erewash”, was introduced in 2024, just a year after Labour took control of the council from the Tories, who had held power for 20 years.
It was a flagship policy for the Labour group in Erewash and was included in its manifesto.
Erewash’s newly elected Labour MP,  Adam Thompson, responded to the criticism, saying that rewilding “takes a couple of years to come good”.
The council has been contacted for comment by The Telegraph.