Grass verges and cutting

Our approach to grass cutting

We cut grass to help road safety - to make sure there is good visibility at bends and junctions, to keep road signs clear, and to give room for people to pass on the pavement.

We also consider environmental factors and appearance. In rural areas we give  importance to conservation.

Grass cuttings

We only collect the grass cuttings if we need to do so for safety reasons. We blow them back onto the verge where needed.

Grass cutting in towns and other 30 mph and 40 mph areas

We cut the grass in 30mph and 40mph areas to keep the height below 100mm. Depending on the weather, this usually means a cut every 3 weeks between March and November.

Grass cutting in rural areas (outside 40 mph areas)

Grass verges are refuges for plants, birds and insects. To protect this wildlife, we only cut rural grass verges once a year. Cutting takes place at the height of the growing season. This gives plants a chance to flower and keeps the verge looking attractive for as long as possible.

We use tractors to cut a single 1.2 metre strip back from the edge of the road or footway, with extra cutting to give visibility at junctions and bends. We also cut around street furniture.

We do our best to avoid planning a rural cut at the same time as a major local event, but this is not always possible.