Grass verges and cutting
We maintain approximately 5.8 million square metres of roadside grass verge on adopted roads in Cheshire East.
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 do not collect grass cuttings because they provide nutrients to the soil. We blow cuttings back onto the verge where needed.
Grass cutting in towns and other 30 mph and 40 mph areas
We cut the grass 10 times per year, which means cutting will be approximately every 4 weeks during the growing season between March and November depending on the weather.
However, a small number of verges in 30 mph and 40 mph areas are cut less often to help support wildflowers and insects.
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.
The programmed dates for cutting rural highway verges during the 2022 growing season are as follows:
- Rural visibility cuts, to keep sightlines clear at junctions and bends, are carried out twice a year. The first cut took place on 25 May 2022 and the second is due to start on 22 August 2022
- The full cut of the rural verges commenced on 1 June 2022 and is currently on going.
Weed control
You can find out more information on how we deal with weeds on our weed control page.
Report a grass verge issue
If you have read the information on this page and still need to report an issue with a grass verge, you can use our online form.
Report a grass verge issue
Contact us
Highways - Cheshire East Council Report a problem online
If you consider a highways issue to be dangerous, or an emergency, please call us on:
0300 123 5020
(8:30am – 5:00pm)
0300 123 5025
(after 5pm and before 8:30am, including weekends)
Highways
Floor 6
Delamere House
Delamere Street Crewe
Cheshire
CW1 2LL
Page last reviewed: 27 May 2022
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