Greener approach to grass cutting

Ceredigion’s grass cutting season is well under way, with many of the locations we manage having already received their first cut.

Over the next couple of years, this change in the mowing will improve the diverse range of flora and fauna within our urban green estate. After mid-July each site that has received the marginal/visibility cut, will be subject to an inspection to evaluate if it is ready for cutting, to ensure that the majority of wildflower in the sward has finished flowering. This may mean that some areas are not cut until August or even September.

This change is driven by the need to reduce our impact upon the environment and to do things differently. In the early part of the season, we will be cutting reduced volumes of grass and making fewer vehicular movements disposing of the grass, which will have a positive impact on the local and wider environment. Later in the season we will be using some of that saved resource to cut and collect the grass. Most of the grass is composted locally.

Councillor Keith Henson, Cabinet Member for Highways and Environmental Services and Carbon Management commented: “The new grass cutting regime is great for the local environment and supports our efforts to safely manage these grassed areas. The approach adopted provides a balance between protecting habitats, public safety and maintaining the aesthetic benefit of managing this land.

As part of the No Mow May campaign, free the wildflowers in your lawn so they can grow wild and provide a feast for pollinators, tackle pollution, and lock away atmospheric carbon below ground. We are monitoring and reviewing the roll out of the new approach on an ongoing basis and, as always, welcome feedback from the public. Feedback can be sent to Clic, our customer services team.”

The Clic Contact Centre can be contacted on 01545 570 881 or by email on clic@ceredigion.gov.uk.