Working within the social distancing limitations has required a different approach from us in the delivery of many of our services. Parks are an area that we have had to adapt to keep the public and our staff safe and to ensure we have an agile workforce that can focus on priority services, such as bin collections. During this time we have reduced the frequency of grass mowing, meaning our parks and roadside verges may look a little different – but this is providing improved habitats for bees and other pollinators. Before the lockdown we were committed to ‘Ensure bee friendly habitats in every neighbourhood’ and we are currently identifying many locations in Nottingham where reduced mowing could become an ongoing part of our green spaces maintenance. At the moment we are seeing more wildflowers and the pollinating insects which is great for the city’s green spaces, our gardens and allotments. Less mowing also reduces our carbon emissions, contributing towards our carbon neutral target.

Thank you to everyone who took part it international City Nature Challenge. The results are in and even though Nottingham was the smallest city that took part, we held our own, recording the most observations, species and observers per square kilometre. By documenting your local nature and wildlife, you have helped to improve the understanding of urban biodiversity globally. Find out more City Nature Challenge: Nottingham

Nottingham is a very green city, with parks and open spaces covering over 20% of our land. These beautiful spaces are designed and maintained for recreation and enjoyment as well as contributing to the quality of our everyday environment. I would encourage people while we are in lockdown to use the parks and open spaces closest to them for their daily exercise and just the chance to get out in the open air to enjoy these little oases of green within the city. They are really important to people, for physical as well as mental well-being – perhaps never more so than now.

We are finding that the vast majority of people are using the parks sensibly and keeping to the Government’s social distance rules. If everyone continues to do this, there’s no reason why we can’t all enjoy our wonderful parks to get out of our homes for a short time, while still ensuring we are doing our bit to stop the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.

Keeping Nottingham citizens safe is a priority for Nottingham City Council. Whilst we all work to tackle the pandemic and limit its impact, I’m aware that the current restrictions actually make some people feel less safe. While most crime is down, domestic violence is a particular concern over the lockdown for people who find that very sadly home is not a safe place to be. Perpetrators need to know – domestic abuse and violence has no place in Nottingham and that we will stand with victims and survivors. I want to reassure anyone facing these issues within their home that the police, the council and the support services are still here to support you in this difficult time.

To tackle this issue we are supporting a new public awareness campaign to promote the help available for people at risk of or experiencing domestic violence and abuse.

Find out more about local services and how you can help those at risk #YouAreNotAlone.