Residents frustrated by delays to grass cutting

Overgrowth has prompted complaints in Guisborough and Kirkleatham

A council has admitted it is behind with its grass cutting schedules after complaints from the public.

Redcar and Cleveland Council said it had encountered a number of challenges, including unprecedented heavy rain over the spring.

Among issues raised was of overgrowth blocking the view to oncoming traffic on a main road.

One resident in Guisborough said the verge in Spring Lodge Gardens at Stokesley Road had been reported three times without action.

A comment on Facebook said the "whole area’s looking like a jungle".

Ward councillors have also raised concerns over areas in Kirkleatham going uncut.

'Unprecedented weather'

A spokeswoman for the council said the unprecedented weather meant a two-month delay before its teams could even attempt to start its cutting schedule, which worked to a three-week cycle.

She said: "We’d like to thank everyone for their patience as we are doing our best to catch up."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked if the council’s adoption of the ‘No Mow May’ initiative and ending use of the weed killer glyphosate had been a factor in the current circumstances.

The spokeswoman said: "We are trying to move towards becoming a more biodiverse borough due to the climate and ecological challenges we face.

"But we also need to balance this out with how this will impact the appearance of the borough, so we will be reviewing the pesticide use and the impact of the No Mow May campaign at the end of the grass cutting season."