Grass Cutting
The West Somerset Council (WSC) "In-House" Team cuts grass on land owned or managed by WSC.
The "In-House" Team also carries out other grounds maintenance operations on Council owned land, namely:- tree work, hedge cutting, shrub, rose and flower bed maintenance, seat and bench maintenance and tree planting/landscaping.
Urban Highways
The "In-House" Team also cuts grass on high amenity roadside verges/visibility splays situated within or very close to urban areas. These verges are owned by the Somerset County Council (SCC) who pay a contribution to WSC to cut the grass. WSC manages the work and acts as a cutting agency on behalf of Somerset County Council.
How often is the grass cut?
The "In-House" Team regularly cuts grass on most WSC sites and high amenity urban roadside verges on a 10 to 14 day cycle (average) throughout the growing season (late March to early November). This relates to approximately 16 cuts per year.
The frequency of the cuts means that grass does not need collecting on most sites.
The "In-House" team also cuts/strims grass and vegetation on conservation or wild flower areas. The cutting/strimming varies between one and four cuts per year, depending on conservation management requirements and location.
Rural Highways
Rural roadside grass verges/hedges and visibility splays are cut by contractors employed by Somerset County Council Highways Department. In fulfilling its responsibilities SCC, as the Highways Authority, only keeps the verges and roadside areas cut to ensure safety and good visibility for motorists and pedestrians, particularly at junctions.
A number of roadside verges have rare or endangered species of flora/fauna, here the cutting regime is tailored to suit.
Housing Sites
Council Housing previously owned by WSC was transferred to Magna Housing Association in 1998.
Most grass areas within the sites owned by Magna Housing Association are cut by Contractors employed by the Association.
To report problems with areas which need cutting
please contact:
- Areas cut by the Council "In-House" Team, Customer Services Tel 01643 703704
- Roadside verges cut by Somerset County Council contractors Tel 01643 700700
- Housing sites cut by Magna Housing Association contractors Tel 01984 635007