Grass verges

How grass verges are maintained in the city.

Grass verges

When grass verges are well managed they can support wildlife and help improve the local environment. 

Cityparks is responsible for mowing grass verges alongside the public highway. This includes cutting grassed areas around social housing developments.

We also maintain some road verges as wildflower and meadow verges. These are deliberately left to grow during the spring and summer so plants are able to flower and set seed.

Grass verges and the Open Spaces Strategy consultation

Over 3,500 people responded to a public consultation in 2016 as part of the development of a new 10 year Open Spaces Strategy.  :

  • 70% of respondents 'tended to agree, or strongly agreed' that we should cut verges less
  • 87% of respondents said we should support residents cutting grass verges with their own tools.

The second most common reason overall that people gave for using our parks and gardens is for contact with nature.

Future city grass verges cutting and management policy

The consultation responses helped Cityparks start to develop a new policy on grass verges:

  • reduce the frequency of cutting grass verges
  • create more meadow/wildlife areas

During the growing season between spring and autumn, we aim to cut most grass verges 6 times a year or less. This schedule sometimes changes because of bad weather or resource issues.

Pavement and grass verge parking

You should not park on the pavement or grass verge.

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