Devon residents are angry over unruly lawns they say are taking over parts of Plymouth. It follows the story of a woman who was left “covered in ticks and midges” on her daily walks due to unkempt grass, with many readers sharing their experiences too.
Plymouth City Council says that while it acknowledges the concerns of some residents, numerous others, along with environmental partners, have praised their efforts. The council explains that a small area of the grass is deliberately left “uncut for nature”, allowing longer grass and flowers to provide food and shelter for insects.
One reader, Eastparky, shared: “Just walked from the train station to the city via the tube. The tube lawns are a disgrace. To me it sums up Plymouth at the moment, neglected and neglected.”
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Another commenter, Mac59, raised safety concerns: “It’s happening all over Plymouth and Cornwall. Will the council take responsibility if an accident happens because of overgrown verges and traffic islands?”
DickRichard2 commented on the issue: “The concerns of Plymouth residents are echoed throughout Devon. All councils try to cover up their inaction by saying that the lack of grass cutting is to help the environment. While that may be the case in a few areas, generally you will see a lot of overgrown grass and very few flowers – if any at all. Road safety is compromised in numerous locations throughout Devon by overgrown verges and hedges. Sadly, all sorts of excuses are made – but it’s all about money!”
Marleymoo expressed his frustration saying: “The grass now needs cutting, some areas are worse than others, the grass is so high that when you drive from a minor road to a major road it not only looks awful but when it is cut the grass blows everywhere and also blocks the drains.”
Another reader, Mottsy, said: “Plymouth is now a weed city, not an ocean city. Kerbs and grass verges are full of weeds, hedges are overgrown so you have to dodge them when walking on the pavement. The long so-called wild areas also end up with dog poo everywhere. And that’s not even mentioning the bees, butterflies and insects, what about health risks for children etc.”
Council staff manage around 1,000 football pitches of council land across Plymouth, including sports fields, parks, play facilities, wildlife pastures, verges and public spaces.
A Plymouth City Council spokesperson responded: “While we understand that some residents have concerns about the way we manage the grass in Plymouth, many other residents and even some environmental groups have praised our efforts.”
“We manage the 700 hectares of grassland in Plymouth on a 60-40 basis. That means the majority of the grass is regularly mown, with a small portion left unmown for wildlife management.”
This approach ensures that longer grass and flowers can provide food and homes for insects such as bees, butterflies and grasshoppers, helping Plymouth do its bit to tackle the biodiversity crisis, while maintaining parks, open spaces and roadsides. “At this time of year, the weather means the grass always gets a little longer between mowings and we have adjusted some of our schedules to take this into account.”
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