Worcestershire’s grass cutting season gets underway

The county has over 6 million metres squared of rural verges and over 320 thousand metres squared of central reservations along its roads. The cutting regime helps to keep roads visible for motorists, but also provides a safe space for wildlife too.  

Worcestershire County Council cuts less grass to make areas more friendly and protected for pollinators. When road junctions are mowed, only one metre or two metres of grass is now cut back from the carriageway, leaving significant uncut areas available for wildlife.  

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport said: “Although our primary responsibility for roadside verges is one of safety, we are very keen to support the recovery of pollinator populations within Worcestershire and this includes the way that we manage the sites.  

There are 46 Roadside Verge Nature Reserves designated for rare or special species and habitats across our County and all sites now receive a bespoke approach to ensure that protected or rare species are fully considered when it comes to maintenance.  We will also continue to look at localised requests. We all need to look after the bees and other pollinator species, especially here in rural Worcestershire, because as we know our own survival depends upon it.”  

Worcestershire County Council has become pollinator friendly to promote the protection of pollinating insects and their habitat. Dual carriageway verges offer important linear networks for pollinators. Often referred to as ‘Bee Lines,’ they connect previously isolated areas of ecological interest.    

During the summer months, the roadsides grow very quickly and there is a statutory duty to maintain them and to make sure the road network is safe.  However, the changes implemented in recent years have seen significant improvement to biodiversity opportunities on Worcestershire’s network.    

Worcestershire County Council is committed to preserving and protecting the environment for future generations, as well as striving for a top-quartile position for the condition of the county’s highway assets.  

To report a grass cutting issue, please visit the report other road and footway issues pages of the Worcestershire County Council website.