Grass
We maintain almost 5 million square metres of grass - that is equivalent to over 500 football pitches.
Council responsibility
We are responsible for grass cutting in the following areas:
- Public open space
- Highway verges
- Central reservations
- Parks
- Town Centre Gardens
- Meadows
- Commons
Please use the link below should you wish to make a report/request or require more information about grass within flat blocks, hostels and sheltered housing units owned by Stevenage Homes Ltd.
We do not cut grass that is:
- Privately owned
- On properties/estates owned by bodies other than the Council
- Outside of the Stevenage boundary
Grass cutting schedule
Grass cutting starts in March, and continues until November.
All grass is scheduled to be cut 10 times a year (once every 3-4 weeks) with the exception of:
- Central reservations - 6 times
- Public gardens - 34 times
- Meadow - twice
When they are cut depends on the weather and ground conditions, ie if there is a hot and dry summer the grass will grow more slowly and fewer cuts will be required. In these instances the teams will undertake other grounds maintenance duties.
Due to the large area of grass being maintained it is usually necessary for mowing to continue during wet weather. However, for health & safety reasons grass cutting to banks may not be carried out if the ground is wet. Areas that have been cut during wet weather may appear churned up after works have been completed. This is usually superficial and the verge will normally recover within 48 hours.
To report a problem with grass cutting please complete the on line report form Your report will be investigated within two working days and, where necessary, the teams will usually return to site within 7 working days.
Maintenance and care
All Environmental Operations staff are required to operate all machinery in a safe and appropriate manner.
Litter should be removed prior to the grass cut taking place. If this is not done the team will return to site, within 24 hours, to remove all litter.
Most grass in residential areas and adjacent to the highway is cut by a ride-on mower. However there are some areas of grass which are cut by pedestrian hand mower.
Within 3 hours of the grass being cut, a second team follow the mowers to strim around obstacles and to remove as many grass clippings as possible from the adjacent footpaths. This is usually achieved by blowing the clippings back on to the grass verge.
The total areas of verge that are cut are too large to make the collection of clippings an affordable option. However, the cuttings should be left evenly spread across the verge so that unsightly piles are avoided.
Damage to property
If you consider that you have been injured as a result of the Council’s negligence or your property damaged by an employee of Stevenage Borough Council, acting negligently or in breach of any statutory duty, you may have the right to make a claim against the Council, see the link below.