SCOTTISH Borders Council (SBC) has been asked to look at its grass cutting policy after parts of a Borders town were allegedly compared with “Jurassic Park”.

Mid Berwickshire councillor Donald Moffat, of the SNP, raised the issue during the open questions section of a recent full council meeting.

The council has identified areas of grassland that have been left to grow long and cut once or twice per year to support biodiversity.

READ MORE: Council submits plans to demolish ‘deteriorating’ former pub in Borders town

However, Mr Moffat said he has received a number of complaints from Coldstream residents about the Leet Green and Tweed Green riverside walks, with tourists and residents “appalled” by the state of the grassland.

At the meeting, SBC’s executive member for sustainable development, Sandy Aitchison, said: “We humans are taking more than our fair share, we could spare some ground for our aquatic and land-based wildlife.

“SBC made changes in 2018 for financial and environmental sustainability. It’s always a balancing act between public amenity and environmental sustainability but we can’t do things how we have always done.”

Responding, Mr Moffat said: “Biodiversity is alright in some places but this is not the place for it. It’s a bad advert for the Borders.

“It’s not just local TV but international TV that comes here. We need to have another look at this and look at what we can do.

READ MORE: Borders could see ‘heavy showers’ as thunderstorm warning issued for region

“It’s ridiculous to think that we’re going to accept this in the first true Border town and where a lot of people visit.”

Mr Aitchison, an independent representative of Galashiels, said that “compromise was needed on both sides”.

“You’ve trumped your own card there,” he said to Mr Moffat. “Biodiversity is not okay in some places, it’s something we must grasp all over.

“I’m getting my ears bashed on both sides – the bowling green grass people and the people who want us to not cut at all.

“We have to listen to what everyone says and what the wildlife says, and I’m listening very loud to the wildlife.”