Road side grass not being cut

[GingerCat]

Just yesterday I slammed on my brakes and sounded the horn on a car I hardly saw about to pull out of a junction. 4ft high grass obscured his view. Been hit like that before and its not much fun. 

Last winter or maybe the one before they didn't grit the roads (apparently dont have to) and I passed 6 accidents on the way to work, 1 I believe was very bad. All due to sheet ice. 

[Imperfection]

Here's my practical experience of allowing roadside verges to grow.

Tuesday 13th June, i was waiting to pull out of slip road to continue my short journey home at 8:00am. I was first in queue and the 30x30x15ft triangle verge next to me was unkempt and approximately 2ft tall. This didn't bother me as was driving a (6 month old) Ford Transit and can see above the grass and could see about 200 yards. It were sunny and dry and i was in no particular hurry.

Then i felt a bump. An Audi A4 (3 month old) hit me from behind. Not hard-probably at about 5mph. He couldn't see due being much lower than i and he chanced it. We exchanged details/took photos, he apologised and i drove the 5 minutes home.

I rang fleet maintenance to report an accident and was all done by 9:00am..........or so i thought.

Today i went to office today only to be told i now need to ring the guys insurance company and this is when i lost the will to live. Firstly, they said they could only talk with the registered keeper-which is going to be a bit hard since all company vehicles are leased. After speaking to my manager, he agreed to liaise with me.

End of line. Looks like they'll be contacting the road maintenance and try to pass the buck and im stuck with a Transit van with dented doors all because someone decided we need to be more green.

[strimmer_13]

As a recently ex council groundsman, who used to cut verges I can say some comments are spot on. 1 in particular. 

What I will say is that the money isn't what you think. I'll give a example.

All verges or streets are sectioned off and a certain amount of money allocated for grass cutting. So 1 particular section would be granted £3 a year to cut. £3. I know you might think if you have 1000 of those in one area it would add up, it doesn't. Machinery costs, wages (1 machine driver, 1 strimmer, 1 blower/banksman) fuels, PPE (hi Vis) and training for staff to be on the road makes it a dead loss. 

But the other way where you see other company's do it, they tendered for it (which I don't understand as they wouldn't usually be local and making a loss, so they must be getting a subsidy from higher up). And they give up usually after the contract is up then the council have to take back as no one will tender for it again, but when the council take it back they won't get paid a penny towards it. 

As for the long grass, it's to do with field mice around here, I worked those grounds for years and didnt see 1 ******* mouse, or shrew. Couple of slow worms and a few snakes, plenty of dog **** (because if the grass is long enough you don't have to pick it up don't you know) and about 10 tonne of plastic rubbish as the long grass collects and hides that brilliantly. 

I could rant for hours, but the council really are a bunch of *****, and nearly all decisions made locally are by office ***** who've never been outside, but it ticks those green flag boxes. 

[39TDS]

If it bothers me and it is near enough to home I cut it myself.

[old man]

12 hours ago, 39TDS said:

If it bothers me and it is near enough to home I cut it myself.

A world of pain if you ding  stone off a passing car?

[scolopax]

Funny you should mention this, they have mown the verge at a very dodgy junction at the end of my lane (good). But then carried on to mow the full 10 metre wide verge all the way back to the villag (bad) , 200 metres of four - five foot tall meadowsweet and grasses etc all hacked down. Partridge still on first nest, pheasants possibly on second or with chicks, tweety birds all nesting. Local Arable fields are wildlife deserts and still the farmers cannot leave the only bit of cover alone.

Edited June 18, 2023 by scolopax

[JKD]

20 minutes ago, scolopax said:

Funny you should mention this, they have mown the verge at a very dodgy junction at the end of my lane (good). But then carried on to mow the full 10 metre wide verge all the way back to the villag (bad) , 200 metres of four - five foot tall meadowsweet and grasses etc all hacked down. Partridge still on first nest, pheasants possibly on second or with chicks, tweety birds all nesting. Local Arable fields are wildlife deserts and still the farmers cannot leave the only bit of cover alone.

But surely you must realise that humans and their big shiny metal things (cars etc) trump anything else with a pulse ?! 🙄☹️

[chesterse]

43 minutes ago, scolopax said:

Funny you should mention this, they have mown the verge at a very dodgy junction at the end of my lane (good). But then carried on to mow the full 10 metre wide verge all the way back to the villag (bad) , 200 metres of four - five foot tall meadowsweet and grasses etc all hacked down. Partridge still on first nest, pheasants possibly on second or with chicks, tweety birds all nesting. Local Arable fields are wildlife deserts and still the farmers cannot leave the only bit of cover alone.

Too much mowing where it’s not necessary. Walking the dog on a wide verge that had been cut near us and a partridge had been totally mutilated sitting tight on a nest of eggs leaving a pile of feathers and eggs which were smashed to pieces. 

[ph5172]

There are the odd junctions round here (mainly roundabouts) where the vegetation is 3-4 foot high
 

a majority is cut back about 3-4 foot from the edges. The playing field borders are the same. A 3-4 foot mower band followed by a high band then mowed again 

[jall25]

I have written to the council and asked them to pursue No Mow May - Just leave it June and July 

So long as it does not impede visability at junctions and provides habitat for insects - why not ?

The thing with it as well is that once it becomes established the thick grass cover will thin and be replaced by lower / less dense wildflowers - Lovely 

On 16/06/2023 at 13:44, Bigbob said:

Money saving here too it gets cut September why its starting to die back by then  

Because it removes the nutritional value of the grass - allowing the herbage / wildflowers to get a foot hold next year

Looks like another topic you dont know about Bob

 

[JohnfromUK]

This in the grass verge yesterday, mobbed by hover flies

[steve s×s]

On 16/06/2023 at 08:37, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, the council say wildlife but it is another money saving scheme 🤔

Correct! 

[Bigbob]

58 minutes ago, steve s×s said:

Correct! 

As i said ours doesnt start cutting unless its a junction till September , but by them its dying back anyway and surely more use to the wildlife 

[steve s×s]

49 minutes ago, Bigbob said:

As i said ours doesnt start cutting unless its a junction till September , but by them its dying back anyway and surely more use to the wildlife 

Money is a lot of peoples God! 

[figgy]

It’s the same up north. Been out all over and everywhere is same. Can’t see at junction’s. I’m all for helping wildlife but not at the risk of peoples lives. 
agree councils are just saving money. 

[Westley]

So, who is responsible for cutting overhanging hedgerows then  ?  Our local Council, in their wisdom, have installed some lovely 'window boxes' full of very pretty flowers on the safety railings situated at a busy T junction.  Lovely though it is, it is certainly a major hazard when exiting from that junction. Same Council has planted some lovely bushes on the grass verges, in an attempt to stop people parking on them. Those same bushes, after 12 months, are now a hazard, restricting vision to the right when exiting a junction. Obviously those making these decisions,  either do not drive or live in the area  ??

Edited July 2, 2023 by Westley

[JohnfromUK]

6 minutes ago, Westley said:

Obviously those making these decisions,  either do not drive or live in the area  ??

Perhaps they drive large expensive 4 x 4's - and so can see over the top?

These types of thing are a real problem if you have a low slung 'sports' car especially. but I find in my old Defender I can often see over them.

[Yellow Bear]

3 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

Perhaps they drive large expensive 4 x 4's

Chelsea Tractors.

[old man]

1 hour ago, Westley said:

So, who is responsible for cutting overhanging hedgerows then  ?  Our local Council, in their wisdom, have installed some lovely 'window boxes' full of very pretty flowers on the safety railings situated at a busy T junction.  Lovely though it is, it is certainly a major hazard when exiting from that junction. Same Council has planted some lovely bushes on the grass verges, in an attempt to stop people parking on them. Those same bushes, after 12 months, are now a hazard, restricting vision to the right when exiting a junction. Obviously those making these decisions,  either do not drive or live in the area  ??

Maybe looking at vision at junctions the wrong way? If motorist not sure way 100% clear should not proceed anyway, just traffic calming measure?  

[Westley]

8 minutes ago, old man said:

Maybe looking at vision at junctions the wrong way? If motorist not sure way 100% clear should not proceed anyway, just traffic calming measure?  

Based on that, I would either still be sitting at the junction, or I have no other option but to 'creep' out until I have 100% vision. By then almost half of my car length is into the major road. That's some 'traffic calming' measure  !

[old man]

Just now, Westley said:

Based on that, I would either still be sitting at the junction, or I have no other option but to 'creep' out until I have 100% vision. By then almost half of my car length is into the major road. That's some 'traffic calming' measure  !

Was told once that the responsibility at junctions regardless of visibility lies with the driver.

[Westley]

1 hour ago, JohnfromUK said:

Perhaps they drive large expensive 4 x 4's - and so can see over the top?

These types of thing are a real problem if you have a low slung 'sports' car especially. but I find in my old Defender I can often see over them.

I am driving a 4 x 4 and the flower baskets are right in my eyeline. Perhaps it's another 'Traffic calming measure'.  😌 

4 minutes ago, old man said:

Was told once that the responsibility at junctions regardless of visibility lies with the driver.

Quite right too.  IF I am involved in a collision at this location and as a result get summoned for 'due care', I shall look forward to my day in Court  !

[strimmer_13]

3 hours ago, Westley said:

So, who is responsible for cutting overhanging hedgerows then  ?  

I brought this up years ago as we'd often get asked on the street about it. Was told to say "i don't know but I'll ask higher up" and hope you never meet them again. But after a bit of grumbling about this, the office will have a map -not available to the public-, which will indicate which hedges, verges and trees are council responsibility. Tho very doubtful you'd be told the truth as they really don't want the hassel or cost of these 'extras'. 

 

Another few cases is overhanging branches from trees which were completely blocking the footpaths on the main stretch to the point a wheelchair had no chance. We weren't allowed to cut them, as it wasn't our responsibility it was highways and they couldn't touch them as it was in a conservation zone and they needed to apply to do it. A year later it was done. 

Edited July 2, 2023 by strimmer_13

[Westley]

Yes, I have encountered the "it's not us, it's Highways" or vice versa on many occasions. I even tried the "Why don't the Council do it and then bill the Owner afterwards" approach  ? That fell on deaf ears too. The best thing I ever got was a local Councillor's mobile number, now THAT approach really does work  !   😄

[jall25]

On 16/06/2023 at 16:37, Vince Green said:

It's No Mow May. Another weird woke initiative to allow the weeds time to spread into people's gardens 

And it also lets some lovely wild flowers spread too

Much rather they left the grass for No Mow May Just Leave it June and July and actually spent it on repairing the roads . removing graffiti and litter picker 

On 02/07/2023 at 11:50, figgy said:

It’s the same up north. Been out all over and everywhere is same. Can’t see at junction’s. I’m all for helping wildlife but not at the risk of peoples lives. 
agree councils are just saving money. 

Where ? Post some pictures please ? I have not seen this anywhere to be honest