Wet start to this year’s grass cutting season

Northumberland County Council has provided the following statement regarding grass cutting.

Preparations are well underway ahead of the Council’s annual grass cutting programme.

Equipment has been serviced and the council has recruited to its 50 seasonal staff positions which support the core workforce during the growing season.

The season is set to start a little later than usual due to the sustained period of wet weather that has saturated the ground in many locations around the county.

This saturation makes the ground very soft, and significantly increases the risk of surface damage caused by the Council’s ride on grass cutting machines, which are much heavier than domestic lawnmowers.

Because teams are having to start cutting later, the grass may be longer than normal when it is first cut which will result in  sitting in place until subsequent cutting cycles but teams will ensure that any clippings are blown off footpaths back onto the grassed area.

Teams will inspect all areas and make an assessment on suitability for cutting and as soon as ground conditions allow the Council will deploy its ride on mowers straight away.

Councillor Colin Horncastle, Cabinet Member responsible for Looking After Our Environment, explained: “We know how important it is to keep our green spaces looking neat and tidy, and we’ll be starting our grass cutting season soon.

“However some things are at the mercy of the weather and the ground is still saturated in some areas. We don’t want to damage the grass or our machines, so it might take a bit longer to get started.

“We thank residents for their patience while we get round to cutting the grass in their areas.”