In a money-saving move, Lincolnshire County Council ended routine cutting of verges in built-up areas from April this year. The authority will save £750,000 annually by only funding two cuts a year at locations where overgrown grass could cause safety issues. It will also carry out a weed control once a year.
Coun Drury said: “I join residents, both personally and in my capacity as a district councillor, to ask that the decision to only carry out two safety cuts a year is reviewed by LCC and that the opinions of the residents, the road safety implication and the aesthetics of the local area are all taken into consideration.
“I understand completely that budgets must be prioritised to the key services, but still ask that consideration is given.”
Last Sunday (June 4), a band of residents in Wygate Park, Spalding, took the issue of overgrown verges into their own hands. Armed with lawnmowers, strimmers and brushes they set about tidying their neighbourhood. Coun Drury thanked them for their community spirit and later joined them after doing some strimming in his ward of St Mary’s.
He added: “I did this to try and tidy up the areas which are now beginning to look extremely overgrown and uncared for; this is not how I want our town to look and believe that there are genuine safety issues around junctions for both vehicles and pedestrians.”
Coun Drury said he and colleagues at the district council would continue to lobby the county council to review its decision. In the meantime he urged concerned residents to speak to their county councillor.
Spalding West county councillor Angela Newton voted against the reduction in service and is supporting moves to ease the situation.
She is also district council member for Spalding Monkshouse ward and said: “In places like Wygate Park and Holland Park, it is not appropriate to have high verges.”
Some parish councils in the county have taken on the work but Spalding does not have a town council, only a town forum which is purely a consultative body. One solution being mooted is the town’s district councillors chipping in from their members’ designated budget to fund verge maintenance.
Coun Newton added: “I’m happy to commit some of my budget. Next year [Spalding Town Froum] might have to budget for it and that would have to go on the rates but several people have said they would be happy to pay a penny or two more for that.
“We want the town nice for residents and visitors.”
