Five new roadside nature recovery study reserves are to be created as part of a drive to create dozens of new refuges for wildlife - and that could see verges cut less often.
Sites near Taverham, Wells-next-the-Sea, King’s Lynn, Heacham and Flitcham have been earmarked to serve as blueprints in a drive to increase the number of Norfolk roadside nature reserves from 110 to 300.
The council originally launched the roadside nature reserve scheme in 1995, in association with Norfolk Wildlife Trust, but wants to boost biodiversity by expanding the scheme.
The idea is that those roadside nature reserves - which stretch for nearly 10 miles in total - are individually managed to protect plants, insects and animals which live there.
They are still cut, but generally only once a year, at the end of the summer.
In 2021, the county council said it wanted to increase the number to 300 by 2024 as part of a scheme called Greenways to Greenspaces, but officers said a "new approach" is needed to make that happen.
They want to create five roadside nature recovery study areas, which would serve as blueprints for how to go about creating new ones.
Sites identified for those study areas are verges off the Norwich Northern Distributor Road near Taverham, off the A148 near Flitcham and off the A149 at King's Lynn, Wells-next-the-Sea and Heacham.
The matter will come before members of County Hall's infrastructure and development select committee on Wednesday (January 18), where councillors are also likely to agree a policy to reduce the use of weedkillers containing glyphosates.
James Bensly, chair of the committee, said: "This is set to be the start of an exciting programme of work, to create new roadside nature reserves, cut the use of herbicides and boost active travel.
"I'm very grateful to our dedicated highways and environment teams who have been working closely with a range of experts and organisations to develop these very detailed and carefully considered proposals.
"While safety will always be the top priority on our roads, pavements and cycleways, it's right that we take clear actions to support nature recovery as part of our work towards our ambitious 2030 net zero carbon target."
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