Care

The grass is cut 12 times a year from the end of March to Early November, about once every 3 weeks, and edged back from hard surfaces annually between October and March.

Concerns

• Why is the grass so long?

Cutting is carried out to a schedule and consequently the grass can grow to considerable lengths in favourable conditions between cuts.

• Can grass cuttings be removed?

Unfortunately, we cannot remove grass cuttings because it is far too time consuming. When the grass starts to grow quickly during the spring, or during periods of wet weather, there may be a considerable amount of grass clippings. The service provider is required to sweep off any that get transferred to footpaths at the time of cutting.

• Why are certain areas of grass within the highway verges and areas of open space not cut, while the remainder of the grass is cut?

Locations where grass areas have been planted with bulbs (e.g. Daffodils and Crocus) will not be cut until the leaves have started to die back, usually in late June. This is good gardening practice as it ensures that the bulbs will produce flowers again the following year. Unfortunately these areas can become overgrown and untidy in the early summer. Once cut these areas will be maintained as the remainder of grass until the bulbs start growing in the following year.

• Why don’t you strim underneath under some hedgerows in open spaces?

This is a practice similar to the uncultivated headlands of farmers fields. This encourages the return of wild flora and fauna to our open spaces.

• People keep parking their cars on the highway verge near my property which is making them unsightly, can you repair them?

Milton Keynes Council does not repair them unless they are badly rutted and therefore a safety issue. It is not possible to keep repairing them when they are continually being damaged. Restoration is not achievable because the soil structure will continue to be destroyed and reseeded grass will not grow.

• People keep parking their cars on the highway verges in my road which is ruining them; can you install some railings to prevent this from happening?

Milton Keynes Council as the Highway Authority does not provide for the installation ascot railings. However where there is a local demand for it and the Local Town or Parish Council is willing to provide for it , Milton Keynes Council will work with that Local Council to satisfy the request (as long as there are no safety reasons why it cannot be installed).

Find your local Parish

Contact your Parish

• In November, the grassed area near my house was used for a bonfire. What can I do?

Contact the Environment Services Help Line on 01908 252570 who will make arrangements for it to be removed.

• Why are you cutting the grass when it’s wet?

Grass cutting is too large a scale operation to only proceed in optimum conditions. It is a 5-6 day a week job and consequently in wet conditions temporary marking, as surface water mixes with the soil, can occur. It is however suspended in persistent wet conditions when the likelihood of causing damage, creating an eyesore and operator safety outweigh cutting priorities.

The grass is cut to a schedule of 12 cuts per season. This is a general schedule for the whole of Milton Keynes. The dates specify the times in between which each grass cut has to be done. The contractor will be required to keep to this schedule but may become behind only due to very unfavourable weather and ground conditions.

• Do you take account of wildflowers when carrying out rural grass cutting?

In rural areas we cut grass whilst aiming to maintain the natural growth of wild flowers and native habitats for wildlife. Grass cutting is carried out at a reduced level, promoting a balance between pedestrian and driver safety and the protection of flora and fauna.

For safety reasons sightlines in rural areas are cut back to 2 metres, whereas the highway verges are cut 1 metre wide, both four times a year. Grass cutting in rural areas is important for a number of reasons. We aim to:

• Maintain visibility, particularly at junction areas
  
• Prevent grass overhanging and encroaching on both roads and footways
  
• Prevent the obscuring of road signs, edge posts and other highway furniture, such as signs and bollards etc.
  
• Provide a strip or verge, which is cut for pedestrian safety
  
• Inhibit the growth of injurious weeds (as defined in the Weed Act 1959, e.g. Ragwort, etc.
  

Our 2010 Grass Cutting Schedule

Parks and Open Spaces Home Page