When Our Green District Is Just TOO Green

June

22

16 comments

London Road, Rawreth
London Road, Rawreth

We’ve had quite a few complaints about grass and greenery in the last week.

– Downhall Park Way ditch – a rectification notice was being sent to the contractors, ISS, on Friday to finish the work. They will have 2 working days to complete it.

– A129 in Rawreth, to the west of the Carpenters Arms Roundabout -apparently the verges only get a ‘rural cut’ once per year, though that clearly isn’t adequate and we are querying this. We have asked for the vegetation overgrowing onto the footpath to be removed (that’s a County Highways responsibility). We have also asked for rubbish and a tyre on the grass verge to be removed by the District council and hopefully that will be done soon.

– Downhall Road area – We have received several complaints from local residents that although the grass verges in the downhall area were mowed last week , this was not followed up by the usual strimming operation to the edges and around trees, leaving the area looking “very scruffy” We have queried this with the district council.

About the author, admin

  • The A129 was always cut twice a year, Spring and Autumn. Last year was the first time it was only done once, and that was due to the well known problems all round with verge cutting last year. Even when it was done it wasn’t a proper cut, really only the top was taken off, and as the machine didn’t reach completely across the verge the very inside edge was never really done at all. This means it started this growing season higher than usual. Already it disrupts sight lines coming out of drives, my neighbour had a near miss a couple of days ago with a small car she just couldn’t see, and as soon as it rains all the long grass will completely collapse across the pavement.

  • My neighbour rang me earlier today. She had another very near miss yesterday trying to get out of her drive which really shook her up. Her car is quite low, and she isn’t very tall, all she can see trying to come out of her drive is grass. I think she has e.mailed both Chris and the Parish Council regarding this.

  • Mighty Oz. Unfortunately the neighbour in question is a senior citizen and is a council tax payer and should expect at least the minimum service for her safety .In some countries householders are responsible for the verges outside their courtilage .We all need to press our County Councillors in Rochford to obtain our fair share of the pot for keeping our roads and paths tidy,go across the border and see what Chelmsford City district do and we can see the inequality . It really is frustrating for our Clerk who continually is pressing for these jobs to be done,we all hoped that with new County Councillors elected last year that it might be different but it is not .

  • For a long time now RDC has carried out the grass cutting on behalf of the county council. The problem is that the county severely underpays RDC for this. We are certainly making representations

  • Richard I am fully aware of the financial arrangements for grass cutting between County and RDC ,which was the point I was trying to make ,as Chris has referred to above. It is the totally historical arbitrary way the funds are distributed amongst the various districts in Essex that I blame for the mess. Chris will no doubt be able to tell us what the allocation this year is .It is a ludicrous amount and does not bear any logic to population or carriageway length .

  • Oz, most of the verge in question runs alongside fields, there are no houses and it also partly conceals a slight bend in the road just past Old London Road going towards the Carpenters. The 40mph limit seems to be regarded as advisory. You would have to strim at least half the length of it to get a good sight line. As for cutting it ourselves, well, last year I twice tried to cut the verge outside my and my neighbours house. It cost me two new mower blades due to damage from concealed rubbish thrown from cars. Bottles, cans, dirty nappies, food, takeaway wrappers, even bricks and rubble are hidden in that grass. I’m not paying out for new mower blades again, and neither I or next door have a strimmer suitable for that sort of industrial use.

  • The situation is supposed to be changing/changed but the advice I have been given this week is that RDC is “only undertaking the one cut now, as per Highways instruction and agreement.” We are still querying this and will hopefully write some more soon.

    Oz, I think Christine’s complaints are reasonable and as you know we try to deal with vegetation/ grass problems when we can…

  • Admin, Christine, I consider myself told off, it is a real pain when the grass gets too high, not to mention a danger. Well done to Chris and the team for trying to get the problems resolved.

  • I believe the figure of 33,000 pounds was last years figure provided by County for the whole of RDC .Perhaps Chris will tell me whether RDC added anything to that figure for this year?On a positive note I would like to give a really big thanks for the excellent job done on the path from Battlesbridge to Bedloes Corner .Really neat .Need that standard along A129 and Rawreth Lane hopefully imminent or completed by now have not been along there last few days .

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