Lancashire Local – West Lancashire District Council

Meeting to be held on 29th September 2004

Item No. 5

Grass Cutting Maintenance

Contact for further information:

Ian F Hornby, 01772 534485, Lancashire County Council, Environment Directorate

Executive Summary

A report on the present grass cutting policy of Lancashire County Council.

Decision Required

The Lancashire Local – West Lancashire is requested to consider the report.

Background

Lancashire County Council as the highway authority is responsible for the

maintenance of the highway network and an integral part of the network consists of
areas of highway verge and planted areas. The current County Council policy for the
treatment of highway verges was developed with reference to the National Code of
Practice for Highways Maintenance, Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the resources and
priorities of the Highways Service at that time.

Horticultural maintenance on the adopted highway network is undertaken to assist in

the improvement of the environment by implementing a management strategy which
fulfils safety requirements but is compatible with wildlife conservation, to prevent
obstruction of sight lines, to inhibit the growth of injurious weeds (in accordance with
the Weeds Act 1959 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990) to maintain a tidy
appearance and to prevent encroachment onto paved areas.

The policy for cutting of grass on various roads is indicated below. The references to
rural roads are those with speed limits in excess of 40mph; whilst urban are those
below 40pmh.

Practice for grass cutting on Rural Roads

i. Where the verge is wider than 3 metres it is to be managed in three zones:

ZONE A The zone adjacent to the carriageway is the safety swathe and
a 1 metre width should be cut twice a year. A third cut may be
required, dependent on rate of growth, on A and B roads.

ZONE C A 1-metre zone at the rear of the verge is to be left uncut and
 -2-

undisturbed apart from a nominal amount of winter thinning

and coppicing.

ZONE B The intervening zone is the mid verge of variable width, and is
to receive a single annual cut in August/September (concurrent
with the 2nd safety swathe cut)

ii. Where the verge is less than 3 meters, there should be a safety swathe
(Zone A). The remainder of the verge being Zone C. There is no mid
verge.

iii. Where there is a verge between the carriageway and footway it should be
managed as follows: -

a) the width is 2 metres or less - the safety swathe should be extended to

the full width of the intervening verge. A 600mm wide safety swathe
should be cut at the rear of the footway.

b) the width is over 2 metres - the safety swathe adjacent to the

carriageway should be 1 metre. A 600mm safety swathe should be cut
at both sides of the footway. The remaining intervening verge is mid
verge (Zone B). The remaining verge beyond the safety swathe at the
rear of the footway is Zone C.

iv. Sight lines at junctions and on the inside of bends should be cut as
described for the safety swathe.

(NOTE: All cuttings to be left in-situ)

v. Where the verge includes rare or unusual species or has a rich diversity of
plants then a particular management prescription may be required. These
specific management regimes override the above standards.

Practice for grass cutting on Urban Roads

In urban areas there is a clear highway need as distinct from any local amenity
consideration for grass to be kept shorter than about 150mm. If grass is allowed to
grow longer than this it becomes necessary to remove cuttings. Furthermore long
grass can conceal debris, which can become a safety problem if left unattended. An
average of 5 cuts a year is normally required to achieve these standards, although
there may be a need for local variation.

The County Council as Highway Authority has responsibility for and to cut grass
verges for safety reasons whilst District Councils cut grass in urban areas for
reasons of amenity under their own powers. These standards vary accordingly,
reflecting the respective duties and aims, with those of the County Council being
generally of a lower standard than those of the amenity standard adopted by the
District Councils.
 -3-

The highways verge maintenance work in District core areas was, previous to the
Lancashire Highways Partnership (LHP), being undertaken through the District
arrangements for their amenity functions. The removal of the highways element of
work to the single Contract would have resulted in two standards and two contractors
undertaking the work with the resultant inefficiencies and duplications not seen as
providing Best Value.

The County Council, therefore, allocates the verge maintenance resource as

previously, with the LCC allocation being taken as a contribution to the District
Council Amenity Verge Maintenance under the management of the District Engineer.

This arrangement was subject to review in line with the LHP overall but is subject to
the overriding condition that the District Council Amenity Standard must be of a
standard greater than the LCC standard contained within the current Code of
Practice. This was accepted and is the present method of procurement of grass
cutting in the District core areas of the County.

The County Council undertook a Decision Conferencing Process in 2003/04 in order

to prioritise the overall County Council services and consequent resources available.

Part of this exercise had an impact on verge maintenance and is indicated below:

(1) To remove the third safety swathe cut to grass in rural areas that had been
carried out as necessary dependant upon growing conditions with the
maximum number of cuts rurally now being twice.

(2) Delete all routine landscaping maintenance, except emergency reactive

works.

The removal of the third safety swathe cut, restricting to a maximum of two will only
affect A and B roads that were generally cut previously, in line with the policy. It will
not have an effect on urban roads and the contribution to the District Councils for
those Urban Amenity Areas upon which they undertake the grass cutting.

Consultations

N/A.

Advice

N/A.

Alternative options to be considered

N/A.
 -4-

Implications: e.g. Financial, Legal, Personnel, Human Rights, Crime and Disorder
or Other

N/A.

Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985

List of Background Papers

Paper Date Contact/Council/Tel No

Highways Maintenance 1988/2002 I F Hornby, Lancashire

Code of Practice County Council, 01772
534485

Lancashire County Council 1994 I F Hornby, Lancashire

Code of Practice for County Council, 01772
Highway Maintenance 534485

Reason for inclusion in Part II, if appropriate

N/A.