Grass cutting

Grass cutting operations

Our grass cutting operation is due to begin on 2nd April 2024 – subject to weather conditions.

You may find our grass cutting FAQs helpful and you are able to search for grass cutting dates by typing your postcode or street name into our interactive map below.

32 Parish Councils cut grass in their areas on our behalf.

Frequently asked questions

Why has my grass verge been missed?

Sometimes we aren’t able to cut grass on a verge, this could be due to:

  • An obstruction i.e. a parked vehicle / wheelie bin
  • Daffodils which cannot be cut until June
  • A dedicated wildlife/flower verge

Our grass cutting teams log missed cuts and where possible we return to reported missed areas.

Why have the grass cuttings been left?

Our 11 gangs cut over 4m square metres on each four week cycle - that's the equivalent of 573 King Power Stadium pitches on each cut. The amount of clippings means we couldn't collect them. Our cutting teams use equipment to blow cuttings onto the verge, but this can sometimes be made harder by weather conditions.

I noticed the street nearby has been cut but not mine?

In larger areas we divide the grass cutting routes into zones which mean some streets / roads fall on different days. For example Loughborough takes 15 days and is split into different zones. This applies to other large areas such as Melton Mowbray, Coalville, Market Harborough which each take up to 5 days and Oadby & Wigston takes almost 10 days.  So when you notice other nearby verges have been cut your verge is likely to be cut soon.

Villages & Towns maintained by a Parish Council on our behalf
 

Motorways and Trunk Roads are cut by National Highways

They are responsible for the A5 / A46 / A42 / A453 / A52 / A50 (J24 towards Stoke) / A14 / M1 / M69 / M42 and M6.

You can report a grass issue to National Highways by calling 0300 123 5000.

Rural grass cutting

Where as an urban area is classified anything within a 30 mph zone (or less) in towns and villages, a rural area would be anything that falls outside of this definition – these are the roads that link towns and villages.

Junctions and bends in the road are cut right back for safety purposes – we have a duty to ensure visibility is maintained for road users.

The rural network is 3.9 million linear metres and our contractors’ tractors travel the equivalent of the length of the UK three times over on each cut!

Where there is a private access it is the responsibility of the property owners along the rural roads to keep their entrance clear and safe to access in and out of the property grounds.

To safely cut grass alongside dual carriageways and slip roads we have to arrange lane closures. These are cut twice during the season.

High speed roads and dual carriageways

High speed urban roads
Location Dates
Oadby, A6 London Road 25 April, 16 May, 26 June, 24 July, 28 August, 18 September
Markfield, A50 Field Head 25 April, 16 May, 26 June, 24 July, 28 August, 18 September
Birstall, A6 Loughborough Road Central Reservations 26 April, 17 May, 27 June, 25 July, 29 August, 19 September
Loughborough, Epinal Way/Ashby Rd/Ling Road/Old A6 Central Reservations 26 April, 17 May, 27 June, 25 July, 29 August, 19 September
A50, A46 Branting Hill to Glenfield Hospital Between 07 & 13 May, between 17 & 21 June, between 05 & 09 August and finally between 23 & 27 September
Lubbesthorpe Way – City Boundary to Soar Valley Way Between 07 & 13 May, between 17 & 21 June, between 05 & 09 August and finally between 23 & 27 September
Grove Farm Triangle, B4114 to Narborough  Between 07 & 13 May, between 17 & 21 June, between 05 & 09 August and finally between 23 & 27 September
Croft, Coventry Road Central Reservation Between 07 & 13 May, between 17 & 21 June, between 05 & 09 August and finally between 23 & 27 September
Blaby Bypass Between 07 & 13 May, between 17 & 21 June, between 05 & 09 August and finally between 23 & 27 September
High speed rural roads
Location Dates
M1 Junction 21 25 May, 31 August
A4303 Junction 20 to Magna Park First cut between 20 May & 07 June, second cut between 02 Sept & 17 Sept
A47 Clickers Way First cut between 20 May & 07 June, second cut between 02 Sept & 17 Sept
A6 Great Glen Bypass First cut between 20 May & 07 June, second cut between 02 Sept & 17 Sept
A46 Newark Road, Thurmaston First cut between 20 May & 07 June, second cut between 02 Sept & 17 Sept
A50/A511 Groby to Bardon First cut between 20 May & 07 June, second cut between 02 Sept & 17 Sept
A47 Billesdon Crossroads First cut between 20 May & 07 June, second cut between 02 Sept & 17 Sept
A6 Birstall to Loughborough First cut between 20 May & 07 June, second cut between 02 Sept & 17 Sept
A6 Derby Road Dishley to Hathern First cut between 20 May & 07 June, second cut between 02 Sept & 17 Sept

Daffodils and planted bulbs

Daffodil cutting will take place during the third cut in June.

Even though they look dead, the plant leaves absorb energy from sunlight (through photosynthesis). That energy is converted into sugar producing chemicals – food that keeps bulbs blooming year after year. If we mow them too early, bulbs are stunted, resulting in smaller and fewer blooms the following year.

Urban wildlife verge scheme

Numerous Parish Councils have set up wild flower verges across Leicestershire.

If you're keen to join the campaign and see verges left uncut in your town or village, please speak to your parish or district council who can speak to us about taking part in the 2023 urban verge scheme – or email environmentteam@leics.gov.uk for wildlife verge applications only. For general enquiries about grass cutting and other vegetation issues, please complete the Report a road problem form or call 0116 305 0001.

Weed spraying

We don't have a specific policy for weed removal from the highway – our policy is to spray perennial weeds. The 2024 treatment programme will start in May.

We employ a contractor to spray perennial weeds in the road channels and footways twice a year, to arrest and control growth, preventing structural damage to highway assets. This process is not designed to achieve weed-free roads all year round

How often does the Council weed spray?

Weed spraying is a routine maintenance activity to prevent structural damage to highway infrastructure. The spraying happens twice each year, over a 4-6 week period. The first spray happens in May/June and the second spray in August/September.

What weedkiller does LCC use?

Our specialist contactor uses a Glyphosate based product to treat weed on the public highway.

Do you spray in all weathers?

Weather conditions can impact on the progress of the programme as weed spraying cannot happen in wet or windy conditions. As a result, timing of this activity can vary.

Do you remove dead weeds?

We do not remove dead weeds after they have been sprayed. It takes up to 15 days for weeds to start dying back once they have been sprayed. Street Cleansing is the responsibility of your local District/Borough Council.

Can I request a return visit?

We do not have the resources to carry out additional weed spraying visits.

How do you treat invasive weeds?

There is a supplementary programme for the specific treatment of noxious and invasive weeds such as Ragwort and other weeds such as Japanese Knotweed.

If you have concerns about a noxious or invasive on the public highway then you can report it using the the customer service online contact form.

Hedge cutting

The majority of hedges are privately owned by adjacent landowners. 

Routine cutting of our highway owned hedges is restricted to between October and February, to avoid bird nesting season and fit around the grass cutting programme.

Hedges are only cut for safety reasons to ensure branches do not overhang the carriageway or footway/cycleways.

Edging back requests

Edging back mean ‘pushing back’ overgrown verge which has spread and narrowed the existing footway and is usually done between October and March when the ground is softer.

Resources are directed at priority sites. For example, where concern is raised that the footway width is reduced so much that it is making it difficult for parents with pushchairs or wheelchair users to pass.

Disclaimer

The grass cutting map is only an illustrative representation of the areas which the Council understands to be its responsibility as Highway Authority. The extent of the adopted public highway was not verified when compiling this dataset, so it may contain inaccuracies.

If you have reason to believe that any of the information is incorrect, please send a plan along with supporting information to the Council’s Highway Record Enquiries team (hre@leics.gov.uk) where the extent of the highway in the vicinity of the grass area will be investigated.

Please note that the presumption without evidence to the contrary is that any ditches or private boundary features (e.g. hedges) which overlap into the areas shown are the responsibility of the landowner adjoining the highway, and not the Highway Authority.