Roadside Grass Verge Cutting 2024
Typically we cut grass verges on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council multiple times a year to keep our roads and pavements clear and to ensure visibility is not obscured.
In some locations we are trying to promote wildflower growth and biodiversity. This is known as alternative verge maintenance and is part of Hertfordshire County Councils Sustainable Hertfordshire strategy.
Highway grass cutting regimes
Urban Grass Verges Toggle accordion
Urban Grass verges are found in residential areas and are shown on the maps as yellow and black hatched areas.
Depending on weather and ground conditions we aim to cut these verges on rolling 3 to 4 week programme between March and October.
There areas are cut using a combination of ride on mowers and strimmers. We strim around street furniture and other obstacles every other cut.
To reduce the risk of damage we do not strim around trees at all.
Swathe Cut Toggle accordion
Swathe are grass verges that usually run along the side the main roads and lanes in rural areas. These are cut twice a year in May and October with a tractor and side mounted flail.
Visibility Verge Toggle accordion
The purpose of a Visibility Cut is to maintain safe sightlines at junctions and bends along roads.
These are cut 4 times a year, between March-April, May-June, July-August and October-November with a tractor and side mounted flail.
Highway Verge Rewilding (summer meadow) Toggle accordion
In some locations Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) are trying to promote wildflower growth and biodiversity by cutting and collecting once a year in September/October. This allows more established verges to flourish
There areas are shown on the online makes as a light blue areas (see below)
This is known as 'alternative verge maintenance' and is part of the HCC Sustainable Hertfordshire strategy.
Residents can nominate sites by contacting their County Councillor. Nominated verges will be assessed by the Highway Authority (HCC) and may be implemented.
Only locations that meet the criteria will be approved. Nominated verges must:
- currently be cut more than once per year
- not be close to a junction where longer grass would restrict visibility
- not be next to a pavement or road that would become partially blocked by longer grass
- not become unsightly and attract complaints if left uncut (more relevant in urban areas).
Urban Highway Grass Verge cutting schedule and cut status
Status update July 2024 Toggle accordion
In the 2024 grass cutting season, there was a change in the specification that St Albans City & District Council requires our grounds’ maintenance contractor to work to. This included not strimming around trees (due to the damage strimmer’s were causing to the bark) and secondarily, that the strimmer operatives would cut on every other cutting cycle only.
Due to the very wet conditions experienced this winter and in March and April, our grounds maintenance contractor could not bring machinery onto the grass as it would cause excessive damage. This, along with the new specification and the high grass growth rate (which we are experiencing at present) has left the edges, around signs and lamp columns looking very tatty. We also acknowledge that there have been some teething problems with the new way of working and this has extended the time to complete a round.
We have spoken to the contractor and have reiterated that the standards are below what is expected especially around the quality of the cut and clearing the grass from paths and road gullies. The Council recognises that these factors have not been ideal, but we would like to assure you that these areas will be picked up during the next cut and tidied up.
St Albans City & District Council apologises for this situation and our teams are working very hard to turn this around.
Thank you for your patience.
Urban Grass Verge cutting
Check which cutting route a Postcode is on
| Cutting Route | Area | Current Cut Number | Strimming during this cut? | Start Date | Estimated Finish date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route 1 | Harpenden, Wheathampstead and Sandridge | 4 | No | 10/7/24 | 16/8/24 | Week 1 |
| Route 2 | Colney Heath, London Colney, Bricket Wood and Park Street | 4 | No | 10/7/24 | 16/8/24 | Week 2 |
| Route 3 | Redbourn, North and East St Albans | 3 | Yes | 5/7/24 | 30/7/24 | Week 2 |
| Route 4 | South and West St Albans | 4 | No | 22/7/24 | 16/8/24 | Week 1 |
Updated 22/7/24
If you spot an error or thing something is wrong with the grass verge maps please report it to us and will check the data and update the maps if needed.
Contact us or Report Problem with grass verge cutting
Contact us or report a problem
Reporting other Highway faults
Report problems such as damaged pavements or footpaths, blocked drains / floods, potholes faulting street light or damages signs to Hertfordshire County Council.