Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council is taking action on grass cutting with plans to improve the service across the borough after complaints from residents.

At a cabinet meeting last night (December 3), eleven actions aimed at improving grass cutting, managing shrub and hedge growth and establishing new wildflower areas to boost biodiversity across the borough were agreed.

A key improvement is the introduction of a zonal approach to maintenance, where dedicated teams from the council’s contractor, Continental Landscape Ltd, will focus on completing all tasks within a specific zone, such as grass cutting, strimming, and blowing, before moving to the next zone.

This approach will also cover play areas and communal residential spaces managed by the council, while shrubs and hedges will receive a more thorough cutback to address seasonal growth effectively.

The changes follow plenty of complaints from residents during the summer months, with grass cutting jobs left unfinished in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.

A higher than expected rainfall and higher temperatures than expected were blamed, causing wet ground conditions that led to machinery breakdowns.

Cllr Sandreni Bonfante, executive member for environment said: "The council values feedback as a tool to improve its services, and cabinet has acknowledged the service challenges experienced this year.

"We have worked hard with CLL to do what we can to prevent a repeat of the issues experienced earlier this year.

"I am confident that by putting all these actions in place, our residents will see marked improvements in our service in the new year."