Glasgow council chiefs to create rain gardens and wildflower meadows with profits from LEZ fines

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Council chiefs have said they’ll create rain gardens and wildflower meadows with the yearly profits of £1million they will make from driver fines in Low Emission Zones.Glasgow City Council, which has collected £221,000 from motorists in the first three months of the scheme, said it plans to spend the surplus on environmental measures.It revealed, after removing LEZ running costs, the plans will help reduce air pollution and contribute to achieving climate change targets.A spokeswoman said: “Replacing tightly mown grassland with wildflower meadows to provide wildlife habitat and reduce the use of diesel in mowers and creating rain gardens to reduce flooding."There’s woodland planting for carbon capture, the creation of district heating systems to enable homes to move away from reliance on gas, and solar panels on schools to produce power.

These are just a few examples of the work the council is doing.”But their plans have been derided by campaigners who say the city needs to be cleaned up and investment in better transport solutions should be a priority for extra cash.Glasgow was named the third dirtiest city in the world last year in a magazine poll.Rain gardens intercept rain and surface water run-off from the surrounding road and pathways through water inlets.

Expensive district heating systems are usually installed in a group of buildings to use a single source of heat.Glasgow Labour group leader George Redmond said: “Once again this out-of-touch SNP council administration is forging ahead without giving a second thought to Glasgow’s priorities.“Bins are overflowing and bus services are on the brink of collapse – but they aren’t lifting a finger to fix these major environmental failings.“If drivers are going to be hit