Councillors 'get it in the neck' over uncut grass

The upkeep of Derby cemetery was criticised by locals as "disgraceful" and "out of control" earlier this summer

Councillors in Derby have said they are tired of "getting it in the neck" from locals about a lack of upkeep of the city's green spaces and have called for more funding for the service.

The council has received at least 500 complaints about the service this year.

But it admits that figure is a conservative estimate and does not include complaints made through other channels - such as people who contacted councillors directly.

Derby's grass cutting budget has been reduced by almost 20% in the past year and the council says it has taken 10 to 12 weeks to complete a full "mowing turnaround" of places including cemeteries, roundabouts and grass verges, instead of six.

Some residents in Chellaston took matters into their own hands earlier this summer after complaining about overgrown grass

The Conservative chair of the communities, public protection and housing scrutiny review board, Matthew Eyre, said he could not count the number of emails, Facebook messages, phone calls, text messages and times he had been stopped in the street over the issue.

"It is a thankless job and this isn't about putting personal blame on anybody," he said.

"But from the residents' perspective, they see grass cutting as a basic service... that they pay for out their council tax, and they expect it to be done."

Independent councillor Philip Ingall said "most councillors have got it in the neck" this year over the maintenance of green spaces.

He also criticised proposals to rewild some spaces as an "excuse to save money".

Lee Wheatley, service manager for grounds maintenance, said: "We try to turn around that mowing frequency in six weeks - that's what we would consider typical and good.

"This year it was more like 10 to 12 weeks."

Other reasons for the delays given at a meeting of the city council this week were ageing machinery and challenges recruiting gardeners.

The ground maintenance team in the city looks after 1,077 hectares of green space, including more than 400 parks, grass verges and roundabouts, 16 cemeteries and over 50 sports pitches.

The current annual budget for the service is just under £2m.

Options to address the issues the authority has put forward include a formal grassland management plan and exploring how local communities and businesses can help maintain the areas they live and work in.