Assessment of scenic beauty of the roadside vegetation in northern England

This paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey of the views of the road users about the scenic beauty of current roadside vegetation and their perceptions of roadside vegetation with improved scenic value. A majority (83%) of the 183 respondents described scenic quality of roadside vegetation as an important feature of roadside environment indicating awareness among the public about the landscape aspects of the roadside environment. The roadside vegetation was described by a majority of the respondents as unpleasant and drab. The respondents showed a positive attitude towards establishing a variety of vegetation types instead of a uniform seed mixture. Grass swards with flowering herbs near the road and trees further away was the most preferred combination of plant types for re-vegetation of road verges. They also showed a greater preference for the re-establishment of native species in the re-vegetation of roadside verges. However, they did not support higher expenditure on the improvement of scenic beauty of roadside vegetation that calls for introduction of cost-effective methods for re-vegetation and management of roadside verges.