Grass cutting is next victim of budget cuts

Grass on roadside verges and roundabouts will go uncut next year as the council attempts to trim its spending.

From April 2017, Lincolnshire County Council will cease its “amenity” grass cutting, which is generally carried out in built-up areas, approaches to major junctions and on the central islands of roundabouts.

This year, the council will carry out seven cuts between March and October, but by slashing the number to zero it intends to save £600,000 a year.

Grass cutting may continue in some areas under arrangements made by parish or district councils, paid for out of their own budgets.

The council also carries out flail grass cutting, generally in rural areas, to a width of one metre either side of the road and footway.

At each junction, as well as some bends, the council may cut an increased area to improve visibility.

The flail cutting programme was carried out three times a year during the summer months, but has reduced to two times in the current year, saving a further £250,000 annually.

The cuts are the latest in council services to be affected by cuts as the county council looks at ways to balance the books in light of a multi-million pound reduction in its budget.

Recently the council announced a u-turn on a previous decision to turn off some of the county’s street lights at 10pm after fears about crime and road safety from residents.

It had been part of a plan to shave £1.7million from the overall £5million street lighting budget.
But some will continue to be switched off at midnight and others permanently.

Coun Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “The council’s budget has been cut by more than £100m over the last few years, and we need to save a further £41m this year.
“We simply can’t afford to do everything we’ve done in the past.

“That has meant looking at what should take priority. We’ve decided to protect vital areas like the pothole budget, but that has meant other things have had to take a hit.

“As a result, although we will be funding amenity grass cutting this year, the service will stop from April 1, 2017.

“However, we will honour existing contractual notice arrangements, so some may run a year longer.”