Wokingham Borough Council has responded to an enquiry from Wokingham Today following claims on social media that it is neglecting to cut grass and other vegetation on roadside verges and in parks.
Comments have been made on various social media channels within the last few weeks, suggesting that grass has been allowed to grow so long in some places that it is now causing safety issues.
One said a playing field was overgrown with grass to knee level.
“This is the only public field within a 45 min walk where children and dogs can play openly.
“It used to be widely used, but now it’s never used as it is not maintained.
“Our council taxes have gone up, but we are getting less from the council.
“The council even built a small car park next to this field. Why do that when it’s unusable and not maintained.”
Steve Brown, interim assistant director of environment and safety at Wokingham Borough Council, told Wokingham Today,: “Most grass areas are cut four times a year, including most verges and small informal open spaces.
“Sightline issues impacting highway visibility are cut more frequently to ensure road safety.
“Our play areas, sports pitches and larger open spaces are cut more frequently to ensure they are accessible for use.
“Rural highway verges are cut twice a year with rural sightlines being cut four times a year.”
He added that the grass-cutting regime in Wokingham allows smaller plants, such as daisies and birds foot trefoil to flower, providing a food source for bees, butterflies and other invertebrates.
“In our larger open spaces where we have a more frequent cut, such as football pitches, we will often have designated areas of long grass which is cut annually, providing food and shelter for wildlife.”
He did confirm the council was not able to participate in the recent ‘No Mow May’ initiative.
He said: “Our grass cutting cycle takes more than four weeks between cuts, which makes pausing for a month not possible.
“However, we try to allow areas to grow longer where it is safe and appropriate for this, and especially where residents put up signs asking for it.”
