When, where and why we cut
During the grass growing season, which will vary every year depending on the amount of rain and sunshine we receive across the county, we carry out three grass cutting programmes. These programmes are done for different reasons and are delivered at different intervals.
Amenity cutting
We cut the grass at 930 playgrounds, parks and public spaces owned by the council every month. This ensures they provide attractive and accessible areas for residents and visitors to enjoy. We visit 390 locations a month across Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Bromyard and villages, and 540 sites across Hereford city.
Amenity cutting schedules
You can find a list of sites we visit to deliver amenity grass cutting in the schedules below. Some 5,500 regular cuts are delivered over the season as a whole. The exact timing of a small number of cuts will be impacted by weather conditions every year. These tables are therefore indicative only.
Verge cutting
We cut grass verges across the county twice during the grass growing season, a total distance of 6,353km (3,947m). A small number of verge locations, where it is safe to do so, are not being cut this year as part of a biodiversity trial. Verge cutting is carried out to both enhance the appearance of an area and assist with forward visibility for road users.
Safety cutting
The most important grass cutting service delivered every year is ensuring that good visibility is maintained at accident cluster sites across the county and other locations where visibility can be a cause for concern. There are currently 359 specific locations visited by our teams to ensure that all road users have the best visibility possible.
Avoiding distractions at vulnerable locations
Please note that we will remove items, such as local advertisements for shops or events, that are placed at accidents cluster sites and other locations where they can obstruct views at the junction or distract or divert the attention or drivers or riders. Signs themselves can also cause injury if they are collided with during a collision.
Community spaces
To help improve your local open space or play area, please contact your parish council or local councillor who will know about any existing groups who maintain local areas. In some areas there may be a Lengthsman Scheme in place. A lengthsman is someone employed by a parish to do minor maintenance works in the parish. The lengthsman might cut verges and other roadsides, if requested by the parish. Our locality stewards will also be working with local parishes to encourage the community to help maintain their area. If there is not already a community group in your area, you might consider setting one up.
Cutting the grass by your house
You can cut the grass near your house, but for your own safety, we suggest you only do this in residential areas where traffic volumes and speeds are low. We recommend that you carry out a thorough inspection before you start. Remove any glass, litter and branches, ensure your equipment is in good working order and wear appropriate protective clothing. We advise you to cut the grass without collecting it in your mower box. If you do need to cut and collect the grass, please stockpile cuttings neatly in an appropriate area, away from footpaths. We can only collect grass cuttings if you have purchased Herefordshire Council green sacks.
If you have any queries about grass cutting please complete our contact us form or call 01432 261800.