Uncut grass is a 'potentially lethal' fire risk

Residents and councillors are calling for areas of long grass to be cut over fears they are becoming a fire and disease risk.

People living in Tewkesbury said grassy patches of publicly maintained land in Mitton and Newtown have not been cut for more than a year.

Newtown homeowner, Peter Aldridge, said the situation is "potentially lethal", while Tewkesbury West Reform UK councillor, Vernon Smith, said it represents "a year of neglect" for residents.

Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) cabinet member for highways, Mark Harris, said he understands the "frustration" of residents, and said cutting will take place in Tewkesbury within the next two weeks.

GCC is responsible for cutting grassland twice a year across the borough.

This was previously topped up with additional cuttings by Tewkesbury Borough Council (TBC), but this was stopped last year as part of wider cost reduction measures.

Aldridge, 82, said he has lived in Newton for more than 30 years, and he and his wife have taken to cutting the grass themselves.

He said the county council had not mowed it since last summer, and the area now looked like a "hay meadow" with grass as tall as 3ft in places.

"It doesn't matter how loud we shout, we're completely ignored by both the borough and county councils," he said.

"I'm concerned that someone will flick a cigarette out and we'll have a big bonfire.

"We have a garage at the bottom of the road… the wrong spark in the wrong place and nobody where we live would survive."

He accused the county council of failing in its duty, claiming it is taking council tax money under "false pretences" as residents are not "receiving the benefit of grass cutting".

Neal Minchew has lived in nearby Mitton for four years and has also cut the grass himself, as he is so concerned about the risk of fire.

"One spark and it would go up," he said.

"There's a lot of elderly people who live here, and they can't get out much and want to walk their dogs and things like that.

"So I just went in there and helped them out, really."

An open letter has been sent to the county council by Smith and Reform's borough councillor for Northway, Graham Bocking, calling for the grass to be cut as a matter of urgency.

In it, the pair describe the delay as a "glaring public hazard" and an "insult to local residents".

They also raised concerns of an increased risk of Lyme disease.

"For a full year, they [residents] have watched public land outside their doors deteriorate into an overgrown safety hazard while councils pass responsibility back and forth," Smith said.

"We have exhausted every internal channel, submitted formal motions, and written to highways officers. It is time for leadership to stop making excuses and get the grass cut."

Harris said safety is always key for GCC when it comes to grass cutting, and its initial priority is to ensure visibility is maintained at road junctions and bends.

"With this first round of safety work now completed, our countywide grass cutting programme is well under way, and the Tewkesbury area is scheduled to be cut within the next two weeks," he said.

"We will continue to work hard with local councils and communities in Tewkesbury to understand their priorities and concerns and explore opportunities to address them where possible."

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