Grass verges, cutting and weeds
We maintain approximately 5.8 million square metres of roadside grass verge on adopted roads in Cheshire East.
Grass cutting
We cut grass to help road safety - to make sure there is good visibility at bends and junctions, to keep road signs clear, and to give room for people to pass on the pavement.
We do not collect grass cuttings because they provide nutrients to the soil, we will blow cuttings back onto the verge where needed. If you think grass cuttings are causing a hazard on the footway you should make a report to us under the 'street sweeping' category.
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Grass cutting in towns and other 30 mph and 40 mph areas
We cut the grass 8 times per year for safety reasons. Cutting takes place approximately every 4 weeks during the growing season between March and November depending on the weather. It is very important at road junctions and in areas where clear visibility for drivers and pedestrians is needed.
See locations on our grass cutting programme (PDF, 77KB). We will update this monthly. Our grass cutting schedules may change due to weather and ground conditions.
However, a small number of verges in 30 mph and 40 mph areas are cut less often to help support wildflowers and insects.
Grass cutting in rural areas (outside 40 mph areas)
Grass verges are refuges for plants, birds and insects. To protect this wildlife, we only cut rural grass verges once a year. Cutting takes place at the height of the growing season. This gives plants a chance to flower and keeps the verge looking attractive for as long as possible.
We use tractors to cut a single 1.2 metre strip back from the edge of the road or footway, with extra cutting to give visibility at junctions and bends. We also cut around street furniture.
We do our best to avoid planning a rural cut at the same time as a major local event, but this is not always possible.
The programmed dates for cutting rural highway verges are detailed below. They will include:
- Rural visibility cuts to keep sightlines clear at junctions and bends, which are carried out twice a year. The first cut started in the last week of May 2024, with the second cut commencing in approximately September.
- A full cut of the rural verges started in June 2024 and is now complete
Driving over or parking on grass verges
Although verge damage can look unsightly, it is rarely considered to present a danger to highway users. This means we won’t repair the damage unless it is a safety concern, such as tracking mud onto the road or causing a tripping hazard.
You must not drive over grass verges. If you cause damage to a grass verge, we can seek any repair costs from you.
Parking on a grass verge is considered the same as parking on a footway. You can find more information about grass verge enforcement on our nuisance parking and parking restrictions page.
Weed control
You can find out more information on how we deal with weeds on our weed control page.
Report a grass verge issue
If you have read the information on this page and still need to report an issue with a grass verge, you can use our online form.
Report a grass verge issue
Contact Highways
Highways - Cheshire East Council Report a problem online
If you consider a highways issue to be dangerous, or an emergency:
Call the Highways Customer Services Team on 0300 123 5020
during office hours 8:30am – 5:00pm
Call the Out of hours team on 0300 123 5025
after 5pm and before 8:30am, including weekends.
Highways
Floor 6
Delamere House
Delamere Street Crewe
Cheshire
CW1 2LL
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Page last reviewed: 20 March 2024
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