Request
I'm enquiring whether your grass cutting frequency for parks, verges, etc., has changed in 2025 or 2026.
I'm interested in whether grass is being cut less in mid-summer and more in spring and autumn.
Response
The grass cutting frequency has not changed. Since transferring the grounds maintenance service in-house, the Council can adopt a much more flexible approach to grass cutting, meaning during periods of drought or inclement weather, the team can adapt their maintenance standard to meet the requirement. This year, due to the extreme drought conditions resulted in a reduction to cutting frequencies, has meant the Council could reallocate its resources to addressing other maintenance operations, clearing overgrown areas and focusing on shrub beds for example. The trend seen over recent years is an overall extended period of grass cutting. In the past, we focused on grass between March and October (inclusive) but have seen this season extend into February and November. The Parks team is continually reviewing grass cutting standards and identifying suitable locations that adopt a permanent reduction to the frequency of cutting, as well as enhancing others dependent on the use.