Please give us your views on grass cutting
The options we are considering:
- Cut some areas less frequently, including steep, sloping ground
- Change the look and feel of areas, while maintaining access and amenity, but allowing grass to grow longer
- Work with communities and other land owners to hand over or hand back responsibility of certain areas
- Planting areas of wild flowers
What is not being considered is changes to grass cutting of sports pitches, war memorials, high amenity areas, or parks where they are understood to be used for formal recreation.
Why the contribution is important
Our neighbourhood grass cutting service is estimated to cost in the region of £1.3m a year to provide. This is not a statutory service and we are seeking to find ways to reduce the cost, while retaining an acceptable level of service.
by kirstychristie on November 16, 2017 at 10:11AM
Posted by Borderer November 20, 2017 at 21:51
Currently they are a disgrace and the managers who oversee the service should be ashamed at the standards they are setting.
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Posted by Atkinson November 24, 2017 at 11:13
Suitably qualified Outside contractors would be less constrained by contracted hours of work . Ie where necessary they can work out with the normal SBC working day to get the job done. No SBC pension liabilities or obligation. Responsible for their own training , liability insurance ,health and safety ,equipment costs etc.
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Posted by Grandwazooo November 25, 2017 at 08:45
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Posted by Wolfehopelee November 28, 2017 at 15:38
Uncut areas will need some management, a minimum of cutting once a year in late summer or autumn, otherwise they will become rank and unsightly. Woody species would eventually establish but this would take many years.
Please do not attempt to establish annual wildflower meadows, these are very difficult to get right and require regular maintenance. However perennial, native, wildflower species planted in to existing grass should cope and will withstand an annual cut provided the cuttings rare removed and, of course, composted.
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Posted by ChrisJ December 11, 2017 at 21:40
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Posted by CloudMan December 14, 2017 at 09:42
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