We are responsible for the grounds maintenance on council-owned land within the borough. We aim to keep our parks and green spaces looking good all year round
We look after the grounds maintenance of parks, open spaces, council housing estates. This includes:
Communal areas.
Highway verges.
Traffic islands.
Schools.
Playing fields.
Sports pitches.
Cemeteries and crematoria.
Children's play areas
We also manage Dudley’s stock of Council owned trees.
We typically undertake 12-14 cuts per year, depending on the site.
The frequency of grass cutting will vary, depending on weather conditions and other factors.
Grass cutting starts in April and finishes in October.
Please note: Grass cutting may be suspended in times of drought, chemical applications require certain climatic conditions for their effectiveness and in order to comply with the Control of Pesticides Act 1986.
Further information
Due to recent years ‘mild winters’ have started grass cutting earlier than guidelines stated in order to improve the service.
To provide the best service in a cost effective way different machinery may be used dependant upon the nature of the area to be cut.
Ornamental areas:Cylinder mowers with grass box to collect cuttings.
Grassed areas:Pedestrian mowers, ride on mowers and tractor cylinder mowers.
Grass banks:Hover style mowers.
Rough areas:Flail mowers, strimmers and rotary mowers to remove seed heads.
Grass edges
We edge grass perimeters & spray weeds in grass areas with herbicide in March and July.
We edge and clean out channels to grass areas and treat them with herbicide in March and July
We clip grass edges in ornamental areas in April and October.
Most roadside hedges are the responsibility of the landowner. If we notice overhanging hedges during a routine inspection, or receive a complaint, we will ask the landowner to cut them back. However, we do maintain some hedges on highway land and will cut them as necessary.
Hedge cutting is typically undertaken in July. Some extra work is sometimes taken in September if needed
How can you help us:
Let us know about any junction where the view is blocked by long grass or overgrown hedges.
Don't park on grass verges.
Don't put decorative stones or logs on verges as these can be dangerous.
Maintain your own hedges safely and responsibly.
Highway verges in Dudley are cut for amenity and road safety purposes, to maintain visibility at junctions and to provide a refuge for pedestrians.
Urban verges are mown approximately 14 times a year between April and October along with the other areas of council grass. This frequency has been set so that the grass is kept to an acceptable length while being cost effective.
Rural verges, where we have them, are cut with a tractor mounted flail once or twice per year. Cuts to visibility areas at junctions and the inside of bends are usually prioritised. Cutting commences with the visibility areas in May or June. If we have the capability to carry out a second cut this would be done later in the season usually September.
The tractor flail has a tearing / chopping action rather than a scissor cutting action like on cylinder mowers. This coupled with the fact that the grass being cut is long and often mixed with flowers and weeds will result in a different look to grass which is cut weekly or fortnightly. Verges that are uneven can sometimes be scalped down to the soil. However such damage to the verges will quickly recover.
When we cut the verges we aim to avoid chopping up litter and leaving clumps of grass cuttings on surrounding paths. Sometimes, especially in wet weather, it is unavoidable not to get grass on paths. Where this happens we will do our best to remove it speedily.
Our urban verges are also treated with a contact herbicide around the edge of the verge twice a year in April and July to keep the grass edges in check. We also carry out a cut with rotary mowers or strimmers in mid-summer to remove stalky seed heads and “fringes” on and around the verges.
We undertake bin collections across the borough twice a week all year round.
The clippings are short and mulch down quickly which slows down regrowth. Raking up, loading, transporting and getting rid of them would also increase costs.
Can I cut the grass verge outside my house?
We know that some people like to cut the grass near their home more often than we do. You should be aware of the possible risk of injury to yourself, passing pedestrians and traffic.
Can we undertake private garden work?
No. If you need someone to undertake gardening or tree work on your own private property, you will need to contact one of the local lawn-mowing or tree services. The Yellow Pages is the best place to start looking but try to ensure that you use fully insured contractors.
How do you decide what work to undertake?
Our work is issued on a four weekly programme and the Area Managers and Supervisors have the freedom to plan their own work within each period. For example litter collection is issued on a four weekly basis may not be undertaken during the first week of each period. However, regular tasks should be undertaken on an evenly spaced frequency wherever possible or practicable.
Please be aware that this is a guide only, as horticultural activities are often dependent upon weather conditions and as such may vary from the times specified.
Dealing with an issue with High Hedges
Provided you have tried and exhausted all other avenues for resolving your hedge dispute, you are able to take your complaint about a neighbour's evergreen hedge to your local authority.
