Report overgrown grass, weeds or hedges in a park

Please read the guidance below before you report your problem.

It may help you to decide if using this form is the right option for you.

Grass

• We cut grass on all council-owned land.
• We do not cut grass that is privately owned, planted with daffodils and crocuses or on properties/estates not owned by the council.
• Rain and wet ground conditions make it difficult, and sometimes unsafe, to operate mowing machines. On sloping sites it is particularly dangerous and we have to wait until the land dries out.
• We do our best to keep to schedule, but if we are prevented from mowing by bad weather the next mow will be late. Please bear with us if this happens, we will do our best to catch up
• We have recently changed our grass cutting regime – leaving more grass longer for wildlife and to add variety to parks.  We have also changed the number of cuts of other grassland  in some areas (in some cases increased and in others decreased) in order to spend more time dealing with overgrown shrubs, repairs to footpaths, seating etc.

Weeds

• We are responsible for weeds in parks.
• We do not deal with weeds on pavements, the public highway or on private property.

Hedges

• We do not cut hedges that are privately owned, or hedges where birds may be nesting (1 March to 31 July)
• Field hedges. Once the hedge cutting programme begins we cut all the field hedges during the remainder of the year. The cuttings are not collected as they provide refuge for small animals and limit weed growth.
• Ornamental hedges. These are maintained twice a year. The first cut is usually carried out during June/July (dependent on whether birds are nesting there) and the second in October/November. The cuttings are collected and disposed of.

Shrub beds

• We maintain shrub beds on all council owned land
• We do not look after shrub beds that are privately owned, on properties/estates not owned by the council.
• Summer - we prune and shape shrubs. Prunings are usually chipped and returned to the base of the beds to provide a mulch. This helps to conserve moisture and suppress weed growth.
• Winter - we remove excessive growth from the previous year as well as all dead, diseased and obstructive growth. We also clear the area of weeds and debris.

What is council land?

Council-owned land, includes highways, verges, public open spaces, some schools, parks, council housing sites.