Council to take action to grow team to improve grass cutting

20 Dec 2023

Action is set to be taken ready for the next grass cutting season to increase the team to help keep West Suffolk tidy while looking after the environment.

The announcement has been made by Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure, following a review of West Suffolk Council’s grass cutting and grounds maintenance operations.

The council intends to invest around £200,000 on enlarging the team and associated equipment as well as reducing other commercial work to make sure it can keep up with demand.

Cllr Shipp also announced that the target three weekly cycle of cuts, traditionally between March and October, would not be reduced.

The council will continue to further hold under review alternative methods of  weed control. This includes waiting for the results of decisions by other partner agencies such as Suffolk County Council who are also responsible for grounds maintenance in the highway. This recognises the council’s desire to continue to protect biodiversity while also listening to concerns about not enough weed control in certain areas.

The council will also continue to treat some areas differently to encourage biodiversity and wildlife. Communities will continue to be encouraged to suggest areas that they would like managed in a different way to help tackle climate change and protect the environment.

The measures announced include:

• the current target service standard for the cutting of amenity grass areas (three week cycle) will not be reduced.
• subject to Cabinet’s support of the 2024-25 budget, and in order to meet the current target service standards, capacity is increased by 3 full time posts.
• external commercial work reduced to boost capacity by approximately one full time equivalent.
• await the results of Suffolk County Council’s review on weed control, continue to review best practice elsewhere and keep the council’s methods under review in terms of effectiveness and benefits.

Cllr Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said: “This investment will now go through our budget process in the New Year but I wanted to take action now so the teams are ready for March and the new cutting season. This new investment follows engagement with partners, councillors as well as parish and town councillors and organisations such as ‘In Bloom’ groups who do so much to tidy and brighten up our towns. All were clear they did not want any reduction in grass cutting. This new investment of around £200,000 means we can maintain our three weekly schedule and keep West Suffolk tidy and safe while still treating some areas differently to encourage biodiversity.

“Looking at our grass cutting and grounds maintenance regime was one of the first things we announced at our first cabinet meeting. I believe there is a balance to be had, which is also reflected in the comments we receive from the public. They both want to see us encourage biodiversity but help keep up standards of civic provide to encourage visitors. At the same time it is a complicated picture of who does what and where when it comes to grass cutting. I want to thank everyone, especially those in the advisory group, to move these actions forward.”

The results of the report can be found at Review of West Suffolk Council Grounds Maintenance Operations

Between March and October West Suffolk Council was carrying out grass cutting and operations across 308 hectares (761 acres) of public open space. This included trialling new ways to encourage biodiversity.

One of the first announcements made by the Cabinet was a review into grass cutting and grounds maintenance by West Suffolk Councillor Ian Shipp with support from a cross-party advisory group of councillors and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

West Suffolk Council is only responsible for some grass cutting in areas, other cuts may be carried out by other public bodies such as Suffolk County Council, parish and town councils or housing organisations.

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