Grass cutting

We aim to cut all amenity grass areas every 4 weeks between March and       

October (on average 10 cuts per annum). We are unable to provide an exact

date for when the grass in your area will be cut but can provide an

approximate guide if you email us on recycling@stroud.gov.uk or call 01453 754424

Variable factors such as prolonged periods of rain (with increased growth

rates and soft ground conditions) or machinery breakdown can cause a delay

to the schedule. Cutting frequency may also be reduced during prolonged

periods of hot, dry weather when the grass stops growing.

The first few grass cuts can sometimes leave a more messy finish as the

grass will have been longer than usual and often wetter. We adjust our height

of cut to be slightly longer for the first few cuts to reduce this problem and

avoid “scalping” the grass.

Our mowing machines often work in teams and different areas of grass may

be cut with different machinery types. Due to variations in size and speed of

these different machines, mowing may be out of sequence but in due course

the whole area will be cut.

Bulb planted areas are left uncut for a period of at least 8 weeks after

flowering to allow the bulbs to recover before the areas are returned to the

normal cutting frequency.

Variable factors such as prolonged periods of rain (with increased growth

rates and soft ground conditions) or machinery breakdown can cause a delay

to the schedule. Cutting frequency may also be reduced during prolonged

periods of hot, dry weather when the grass stops to grow and may also be

delayed during, or immediately after, periods of heavy rainfall when ground

conditions are unsuitable and are likely to be damaged by our machinery.

The council has never included the removal of grass cuttings as part of this

service. Unfortunately it is not feasible to include the removal of grass cuttings

as it is not economically viable as a district-wide operation.

Unfortunately it is difficult and costly to get wild flowers to establish on our

estate verges and small open space areas. Many years of regular grass

cutting have created very fertile soils in which wildflowers rarely flourish but

other “weed” species along with long grass can often become an eyesore and

trap litter. Such areas still need to be managed and the cutting / removal of

cuttings are more costly than regular mowing. However we do have a number

of sites around the district, for example Selsley Common, where we protect and conserve wild flower areas .

Parking on grass verges does cause significant damage, particularly in wet

weather. It can also damage underground utility services such as gas or water

supplies and can also cause safety and visibility problems for pedestrians and

other road users, especially in areas where there is heavy traffic. Please do

not park vehicles on grass verges as badly damaged areas cannot be cut.

We carry out a mixed programme of strimming and weedkilling of obstacles and street furniture however due to wet weather conditions this is not always effective.

Our drivers are equipped with blowing machines to clear any major

accumulation of cuttings from footpaths which represent a safety / slip hazard

to pedestrians or are likely to cause blocked drains. Unfortunately it is not

economically viable to sweep or remove all cuttings from the footpath.

There are a number of reasons that can impact on the quality of cut but

unfortunately we are unable to send our staff back to remedy these situations.

Uneven ground levels or slopes may cause scalping. These are not

Intentional and the grass will regenerate.

You may see tufts or ridges of longer grass left after cutting. This is due to

the wheels of the machine pushing the long grass flat as they pass over.

Once pushed flat, the grass may be missed by the blades. Unfortunately

this cannot be prevented when dealing with long grass caused by the

specified frequency of cut i.e. every 4 weeks.

Several times during the mowing season, grass will often produce flower /

seed heads which are not easily cut with our cylinder mowers. To address

this problem we have a number of rotary mowers which we use across all

the rounds over a number of cycles.