County Council fines Contractor over Grass Cutting

12.07.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 30th Sep 2007

Liberal Democrat County Council highways spokesperson, Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Central Watford and Oxhey) has revealed this week that the County Council has had to fine its grass cutting contractor, Amey, almost £26,000 for failures to correctly cut highways grass.

Cllr Giles-Medhurst said: 'Every year it happens - the highways verge grass grows and the county council fail to cut it before it gets too long.

'Even when they do cut it they leave a mess on our roads and pavements.

'The fines this year are up on last year when the contractor was fined £16,559. While the grass cutting has got better in July following my complaints, we still see grass left all over the roads and blocking our drains. But this is something officers do not fine the contractor for!

'Whilst it is good that the county has started to fine for failure to cut the grass it needs to do much more. It is little compensation to residents who in some cases have had to cut the grass themselves or face foot high grass on the verges.

'Indeed the fines only relate to the audits the county carry out and not the complaints residents raise. From my experience and that of local residents, it has been particularly bad in the Hertsmere and Three Rivers areas yet again.

'We complain each year so it's high time the Conservative county council got this work sorted out so there are no complaints - after all everyone knows grass grows - it's a simple task!."