Telscombe Town Council grass verge cutting consultation

Telscombe Town Council are seeking residents’ views on grass verge cutting across their area. East Sussex County Council own and are responsible for grass verges in our area and currently offer Town and Parish Councils three options for highway verge maintenance as follows:-

Option 1 – Standard: Two cuts over the course of a year to be carried out by ESCC at no cost to the Town Council.  Urban grass will be managed for safety purposes only.

Option 2 – Extra cuts: Town/Parish Councils may fund an additional four cuts to be carried out by ESCC, totalling six cuts (two standard and four extra) over the course of the year at a total cost of £7,050 to Telscombe Town Council. 

Option 3 – Self delivery: Town/Parish Councils take on responsibility to deliver all urban grass verge cutting in their area.  This must include a minimum of two cuts over the course of the year for which ESCC pay Telscombe Town Council the sum of £3,348 for the year.  

Over the last few years, Telscombe Town Council has decided on option 3 and has arranged for an extra two cuts per year.   The additional cost is funded by Telscombe Town Council via Council tax and for 2023 was just under £3,000.

Some residents have opted to apply for a wildflower or meadow verge outside their property through East Sussex County Council, who approve all applications. This encourages bees, butterflies and other important insects to the area. The grass is cut once in October by East Sussex County Council with the grass either being collected (for wildflower verges) or left (for meadow verges).

Telscombe Town Council understand that many residents like the verges to be cut uniformly and that the grass can grow high between cuts which can look untidy.

Our current grass cutting programme finishes at the end of 2024 and we are seeking residents’ views before deciding on a way forward for the new programme starting in 2025.  More regular cutting of the verges will have an impact on the costs passed to residents via Council tax, and a cut and collect service would currently cost the Council an additional £30,000 per annum, plus several thousand pounds extra for disposal, again a cost that would have to be borne by residents via an increase in Council tax.

You can complete the consultation here or return the printed consultation in the current Town Crier.

CLOSING DATE FOR RESPONSES IS FRIDAY 31st MAY 2024