Cuts take their toll on grass cutting

Published: 22 June 2023

Cuts take their toll on grass cutting

Budget cuts means less grass cutting, with priority for road junctions

The recent fine weather has seen a surge in grass growth in the city, creating more demand for the dedicated members of Derby City Council’s Grounds Maintenance team. However, due to recent budget cuts, resources are being stretched more thinly compared to previous years.

Like other local authorities across the country, the Council has had to reduce spending this year on all its services. Years of underfunding by central Government have left councils vulnerable to changes in the economy, particularly with significant rises in energy costs and inflation last year. At the same time demand for services has been increasing.

As a result, there are fewer members of the Grounds Maintenance team compared to previous years. This coupled with a longer grass growing season, caused over the years as the climate has grown warmer, is making it increasingly difficult to provide the same service that residents have become used to.

With more than 375 parks and open spaces in Derby, the priority is to keep the city safe by ensuring there is good visibility at junctions along city highways. This means the grass won’t be cut as often in other areas.

Along with cutting grass, the Grounds Maintenance team is also responsible for emptying bins in parks and open spaces. This becomes a much longer task when residents place waste around bins that are already full. If a litter bin is full, residents should either take their litter home or find a bin that isn’t full.

Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, Cabinet Member for Communities and Streetpride, commented:

Only now are we starting to see the impact of recent budget cuts, on top of a decade of ‘austerity’, in many areas across the Council. Although the grass is not being cut as routinely as we’re used to, I’d like to reassure residents that our Grounds Maintenance team is doing a fantastic job in difficult circumstances to ensure the city remains safe. We may have inherited this budget from the previous administration, but we will work hard for the people of Derby to make sure they get the services that they deserve.

I understand the public’s concern about delays in grass cutting and that is why I have asked Council Officers to review our schedule of grass cutting and see how we can improve the service, despite workforce numbers and funding being cut year on year and demand going up.