East Suffolk Council
Grass cutting
Maintenance of grassed areas in public open spaces and housing areas is undertaken by East Suffolk Services Ltd.
After declaring a climate emergency and drafting our environmental vision, we’ve identified areas where a more conservation based approach to grass cutting could promote biodiversity. This is particularly the case in those areas where longer grass is beneficial to wildlife; we have seen some areas that have become havens for invertebrates and pollinators.
East Suffolk Services also carry out grass cutting on highway verges in the main towns and parishes on behalf of Suffolk County Council. Grass verges in rural areas are maintained by Suffolk County Council, along with the verges on the A12 and A14. Verges along the A47 North (from North of the Bascule Bridge in Lowestoft through to Great Yarmouth) trunk road are maintained by Highways England.
Cutting schedule
The grass cutting season takes place between March and October. The majority of areas are cut on a 5 weekly cycle, and we aim to cut the grass across the whole of the district up to 7 times in the season.
There may be some variation to the schedule due to weather and subsequent growth conditions.
Some areas, such as at sheltered housing schemes and formal parks, receive a small number of additional cuts. Conservation areas will be cut once a year in the Autumn.
Overgrown areas
Traditionally, peak growth season is in June/July time, but in some years we have seen a flush in May, particularly when the weather is hotter but wetter. it is expected that some grassed areas will become overgrown in between scheduled cuts, especially if there are spells of wet weather.
At this time of year, it may seem as though some grassed areas are being neglected however this is not the case and we are continuing to cut all grass according to the 5-weekly schedule.
There has not been a reduction in the amount of resources provided for grass cutting and additional resources are applied during peak season. However, due to the size of the district and the speed of growth in peak season, especially following wet weather, there will always be some areas which become overly long irrespective of resources.
We do not collect grass cuttings (known as arisings) on verges, communal areas or open spaces. When long grass is cut, the arisings can be more visible for a short time, however these quickly break down and do not damage the grass growing underneath.
Grass Seed and Animals
Depending on the weather conditions, grass can sometimes go to seed in between cuts. To prevent this being a problem for your animal:
- Always check your dog for grass seeds after walks in long grass.
- Try to prevent your dog running around in long grass if they are prone to grass seed problems.
Missed areas
Our district covers a large area and whilst our grounds maintenance teams work hard to cut as much grass as possible, areas may occasionally be missed. If you feel an area of grass has not been cut when nearby areas have, please get in touch.
Cemeteries and churchyards
Churchyards can provide beautiful and unique green spaces often rich in wildflowers and providing refuge to a variety of birds, mammals and insects. This is particularly important in urban settings where there may be fewer such opportunities and the Councils approach is to carry out less cutting wherever possible, but with path edges and desire lines managed to assist with access and ensure these valuable assets can be enjoyed by parishioners and visitors alike.
The Council have been working with the conversation charity for UK burial grounds, Caring for God’s Acre, which has many fantastic resources for groups interested in wildlife conservation. The Council manages 29 closed churchyards and we are always interested in having a conversation with parishes and churches about best way to manage these spaces for wildlife.
Alongside the closed churchyards, the Council owns and maintains 13 cemeteries. Grassed lawn sections in cemeteries are maintained every 2 weeks within the season. In other burial areas within cemeteries, cutting occurs on a monthly basis. There are also areas which are kept as conservation areas, where grass is deliberately left longer to support wildlife.
For accessibility, the edges of main paths and routes to regularly visited areas will still be cut. If you regularly visit a grave in a conservation area and would like it cut back for access, please get in touch.
We feel it is not appropriate to use herbicides on grassed areas around memorials and prefer to maintain the grass through mowing. Occasionally, grass cuttings (arisings) do fall onto memorials and whilst we try to keep this to a minimum, it is sometimes an unavoidable consequence of mowing grass, rather than using herbicides.
Herbicides
In a limited number of instances, ESC uses an approved herbicide to limit growth as part of its ground’s maintenance programme. We are always trying to find alternative ways to manage areas to further reduce the need for this. This includes working with local communities to find alternative ways to manage our open spaces.