The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Grass verges in Spalding will be cut again after South Holland District Council agreed to pick up the bill from funds set aside specifically for expenditure in the town.
Parish councils in the district have been given the opportunity to pay the district council to carry out the service too, but some, including Sutton Bridge, have said it is unaffordable. The district council has said the offer has been made at cost price.
Cowbit, Long Sutton, Deeping St NIcholas, Moulton and Holbeach councils have taken up the offer and verges there will also be maintained again.
Both urban and rural grass cutting within the public highway is the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council, but this year it agreed to end amenity cuts altogether and just carry out two ‘safety’ cuts per year due to budgetary pressure.
Verges have since become a patchwork of overgrown and maintained grass as some residents took it upon themselves to mow sections of grass verges in front of their homes.
Spalding Town Forum asked that South Holland District Council’s portfolio holder for finance Coun Peter Coupland use funds from the authority’s Spalding Special Expenses contingency account to maintain the town’s roadside verges. Between £7,000 and £10,000 has been set aside to enable it.
Coun Coupland said: “We understand why other councils have made cutbacks to this service because authorities up and down the country are under pressure to make savings. But at the same time, we are fully aware of residents’ concerns over a lack of grass cutting and wanted to act.”
The decision has come too late for Spalding In Bloom volunteers who worked hard to lift Spalding to gold status three years ago and maintain it since. Judges were in the town yesterday (Wednesday).
Spalding In Bloom member Angela Newton said: “I do not expect to win a gold award this year.”
As a county and district councillor, Coun Newton said she had always spoken against the county decision to reduce grass cutting and was pleased to see a solution for Spalding. She said it was possible due to prudent financial management.
Coun Jack McLean, chairman of the Spalding Town Forum, said: “We are pleased to be able to return a valued and expected service to the town. While there are still discussions to be had in future, we are relieved that we can act immediately to restore this important service for the people of Spalding.”
Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for environmental services, said: “The cuts will get under way after the county council has carried out a safety cut in July and I look forward to seeing the end result.”
South Holland District Council was previously commissioned to carry out seven road verge cuts per year on behalf of the county council. This year a third party has been brought in to do the two safety cuts on behalf of the county. The district council will carry out an additional seven cuts in Spalding under the new arrangement.
Graham Petts (68), of West Elloe Avenue, Spalding, said: “It’s great news.”
I am also delighted to hear that common sense has prevailed. I look forward to seeing the verge cutting reinstated. It is disappointing that it took the intervention of householders taking it upon themselves to try and restore some semblance of tidiness to the town for this to happen. Perhaps if we do fail to receive recognition in the Britain in Bloom contest this year it will alert the Council to the need to respect the area and keep it looking half decent.
Whatever the outcome of this belated effort I for one intend to keep an eye on the verges close to me so that my family at least have the benefit of looking out on tended grass and not hay meadows.