Essential Website Maintenance – Thursday 9th January 2020

We will be carrying out essential website maintenance in the afternoon which will affect some functionality. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience the work may cause and will do all we can to keep disruption to an absolute minimum.

Grass Cutting


Summary (optional)
Highway Verges
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What grass do we cut?

We cut the grass on land owned by Council. This includes parks, gardens and nature reserves. We also cut grass near highways - verges next to footpaths and roads, central reservations and sightlines at junctions. We are responsible for more than 420 hectares (that’s 4,200,200 square metres) of grassed land. We don't cut privately owned grass next to footways and roads.

When do we cut the grass?

Highway verges in rural areas are cut twice during the growing season, usually June or July and then September or October. Verges in towns and villages are usually cut between May and October. We can't give specific dates for when we will cut the grass as it depends on weather conditions and how fast the grass grows. Trunk roads (roads under the control of North & Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency such as the A55 and A470) are cut once a year. Some verges have rare or endangered species of plants or wildlife and here the grass cutting is tailored to suit. These areas are marked with wooden posts with a picture of bluebells. In parks and gardens, we try to cut the grass every two weeks during the main growing season (April to September).

Can we cut the grass more often?

No, there is a limited budget for grass cutting. We use this budget as efficiently as possible. We have to consider the total area of grass we are responsible for (more than 420 hectares) and the time it takes to maintain it. 

Why is the grass so long?

Cutting is carried out to a schedule and there are periods where the grass will grow more quickly between cuts. Favourable weather conditions, usually in early summer, can cause grass to grow more rapidly.

Why are there large amounts of grass cuttings lying on top of the grass?

The amount of grass cuttings will vary depending on how quickly the grass is growing. This will normally reduce as the year goes on. During periods of wet weather grass may stick together under the mowers and then fall in clumps. The cuttings mulch down and help to slow down grass regrowth.

Why are grass cuttings not collected and removed?

We do not remove grass cuttings in most areas. The cost of collecting and transporting grass and the specialist machinery needed is time consuming, expensive and environmentally unfriendly.

Why don't we always cut or strim the grass at the base of trees and obstacles?

We use the largest mowers possible to cut the grass to make the service as efficient as possible. On some grass areas these machines cannot cut close enough to trees and bases of obstacles. Strimming around trees could cause damage as it could remove the bark. Instead we use a fully approved herbicide around trees and obstacles.

Why do we let the grass grow to different lengths on some areas?

This encourages the return of wild flowers and wildlife to our green spaces. How the land is used also helps us to work out how long grass should be. For example, formal parks require shorter grass and Local Nature Reserves are left more natural.

Why are we cutting the grass when it's wet?

Grass cutting is a large scale operation and cannot only be cut in perfect conditions. Cutting is postponed if conditions become so bad that we would be damaging the surface or putting our workers in danger. Delaying grass cutting means it will take longer to complete and reduce the possibility of doing the planned number of cuts.

I live next to an area that is maintained by the Council and the mowers sometimes start working early in the morning and are quite noisy. Why can't they work later in the day?

Because of the amount of work we have to do to maintain grass verges, green spaces and parks within the county, we have to start work early in the day. Crews are asked not to start before 7am in heavily populated areas to cause as little disturbance as possible.

Can I maintain a grass verge near my property?

No, because of the possible risk of injury to you and to passing traffic and pedestrians.

 

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