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Grass on highways verges is kept at a safe length across Hastings and St Leonards. We supervise the cutting in line with East Sussex County Council's policy.
Grass verges are cut eight times a year. Although the county policy only requires six cuts, two extra cuts have been funded to optimise the appearance of the town's verges. On the more rural roads of Hastings and St Leonards, a strip of grass alongside the road is cut twice a year to ensure safety and visibility.
In areas of special botanical interest where rare plant species grow, a special cutting policy is applied. These verges are cut until the end of April, then left to flower during May and early June before being cut to 100mm. This cuts the tops off the plants after flowering to spread the seeds. Subsequent cuts will decrease the height of the grass in 20mm steps until it matches adjacent areas in late September.
These cutting standards do not apply to the A259 or the A21, which are managed by the Highways Agency, which specifies one cut per year.
To report a problem or make an enquiry about grass cutting on highways verges please contact us or use the online fault reporting form.
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The general rule is that any vegetation that overhangs the public highway is the direct responsibility of the owner of the premises from which it originates.
When overhanging vegetation is reported to us, or identified during an inspection a letter is sent to the relevant address informing the owner of their statutory duty to remove it. Only in exceptional circumstances will we cut vegetation on behalf of the owner, as it is private property.
Fences and hedges along the highway are the responsibility of the owner of the adjacent property; the Highway Authority does not normally become involved in fencing the highway.
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This page last updated: 14/07/2006