Harlow Council and its maintenance company HTS are getting ready to begin the grass cutting season next month.
The season will begin in March when the ground will be drier and firmer, so that the mowing equipment won’t cause damage to the ground around the town’s green spaces.
In the meantime, HTS teams will continue the winter programme work of maintaining hedges and shrubs.
This year there will be a complete overhaul of how grass is cut across the town following pilots introduced last year. The new working practices that HTS is putting into action are:
- Teams of three each cover defined neighbourhoods
- Grass is cut and strimmed at the same time, so it does not become overgrown around obstacles
- HTS will aim to cut the grass every 10 working days instead of every 17 working days, to ensure it is kept shorter and tidier
- Each team of three has responsibility for their defined areas, ensuring more ownership is taken in their work
Councillor Nicky Purse, cabinet portfolio holder for environment, said:
“As we continue to deliver on our priority to restore pride in Harlow, we are now all set for the new season, following the successful grass cutting pilot schemes we completed last year with mowing and strimming teams all moving around the town together.
“HTS will also be cutting grassed areas more often which, coupled with the improvements made to hedge and shrub trimming, and the tree maintenance programme being introduced, will mean that this year the town’s green spaces will look better than ever.”