Lincoln council flats tenants concerned over state of gardens

Tenants said the grass had got overgrown and had not been cut since May

Tenants have been left frustrated after a new gate installed on a communal garden area was too small to get a lawnmower through.

As a result, grass in the gardens of the council-owned Cannon Street flats in Lincoln has not been cut since May.

The grass has grown to 3ft (91cm) in height, making the garden unusable.

Lincoln City Council said the gate had since been replaced and it had instructed contractors to "cut the grass as soon as possible".

Residents said after the gate was installed, the grass quickly got out of control and it had become a dumping ground for litter.

A bush had also grown so large it was blocking light to one of the residents' bedrooms, they said.

The resident in the flat said she had repeatedly asked for it to be cut back.

"We need the bush gone. It's a safety risk. If there's a fire, I'm clearly not getting out of that window," she told the Local Reporting Democracy Service.

Tenants have also complained about an overgrown bush in the communal area

Residents said although the gate had been replaced with a larger one, the grass had still not been cut.

David Matzk, who lives in one of the flats, said volunteers who used to cut the grass had moved.

"I'm not a spring chicken so I can't do it myself," the 69-year-old said.

"With it being so dry, isn't it a health and safety risk to have all that dry grass right next to housing?"

Liberal Democrat councillor Clare Smalley said the problem at the flats was "not acceptable", and she had been trying to get the council to fix the gates for several months.

She added that it was unfair that residents had been unable to use their communal area and had asked "repeatedly for something to be done about it".

Lincoln City Council said it had asked contractors to remove the bush some time ago and had raised it with them again.

"With regards to our communal area, our contractor was previously unable to access the grass due to the size of the gate.

"This issue has now been resolved and we have instructed our contractors to cut the grass as soon as possible."