Grass mowing services in Lincolnshire cut to save money

Funding for grass mowing services in Lincolnshire will be cut in a bid to save £850,000 a year, the county council has announced.

The authority, which is aiming to save £41m this year, said funding for amenity grass cutting would stop from 1 April 2017.

It said it regretted the cuts and would work with those affected.

We simply can’t afford to do everything we’ve done in the past.Councillor Richard Davies
Lincolnshire County Council

Opponents said parish and district councils said they had not been adequately consulted.

Councillor 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,” he said.

The authority said any grass on the highway verge which does not affect safety would not be cut in future years.

…I don’t believe that this community and others like it can be expected to absorb one cut after another.Councillor Roger Cole
Wellingore Parish Council

Roger Cole, chair of Wellingore Parish Council, said the county council has failed to take people’s views into account.

He said: “I understand the cutting of national budgets, but I don’t believe that this community and others like it can be expected to absorb one cut after another.

“We are not consulted in any shape or form.”

Mark Taylor, head of environment at North Kesteven District Council, said the cuts would adversely affect the appearance of many town centres and villages.

He said conversations were taking place with the county council, but added it was very unlikely district or parish councils could bear the brunt of any additional costs.

People also took to social media to voice their concerns, with some posting about areas which they said were already overgrown and potentially dangerous.