Worcestershire’s grass cutting season now underway

The county has over six million metres squared of rural verges and over 320 thousand metres squared of central reservations along its roads. The cutting regime helps to keep roads visible for motorists but also provides a safe space for wildlife too.

Worcestershire County Council cuts less grass to make areas more friendly and protected for pollinators, however some cutting is still necessary.

At Junctions where visibility is required, grass is cut back to the full extent, whereas parallel to the road, grass will only be cut back one or two metres, leaving significant uncut areas available for wildlife.

Councillor Karl Perks, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport said: “Although our main priority when cutting roadside verges is to ensure the safety of road users, it’s important that we can also support the county’s pollinator populations.

“During the summer months, the roadsides grow very quickly, and we have a statutory duty to maintain them and to make sure the road network is safe. However, the changes implemented in recent years have seen significant improvement to biodiversity opportunities on our network.”

The County Council is pollinator friendly and actively works to promote the protection of pollinating insects and their habitat.

Dual carriageway verges offer important linear networks for pollinators, known as ‘Bee Lines.’  Reduced cutting of the central reservations has now created connections between previously isolated areas of ecological interest.

There are 46 Roadside Verge Nature Reserves designated for rare or special species and habitats across our county and all sites now receive a bespoke approach to ensure that protected or rare species are fully considered when it comes to maintenance.

To report a grass cutting issue, please visit the report it pages of our website.