Latest Hounslow Council Cutback Is Not 'Cutting Back'

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Saving money by not trimming the grass verges as frequently

Hounslow Council plans to save £56,000 a year by cutting grass verges across the borough less frequently.

The plan, which was agreed by a Single Cabinet Member decision, will mean the grass will be cut only 12 times
between mid-April and October instead of the usual 15. This is approximately every 2-3 weeks. The Council also plans to reduce the edging requirement to 50% per year.

The Council admits that this will result in longer grass across the Borough, as the previous specification was a maximum length of 75mm.

The Contract with Hounslow Highways will be amended from an "output to an input specification" and Performance Targets for horticultural maintenance/grass cutting will cease to be in operation. The ‘edging’ of grass verges will be reduced to 50% per annum from 100%.

The majority of grass verges adjacent to carriageways and footways are within the
public highway, maintainable at the public expense and so are the responsibility of
Hounslow Highways.

The Council says that reducing the number of cuts by approximately 3 per annum will have little impact on the quality of the street scene.

August 10, 2018