Grass cutting
Contents
Overview
The Council works with contractors to maintain grassed areas throughout South Tyneside.
There are approximately 5 million square metres of grass in the borough, including:
- open spaces
- parks
- cemeteries
- highway verges
- sports pitches
- residential areas
Our grass cutting activity helps keep footpaths and roads clear while also protecting local habitats and species.
When we cut grass
We cut the grass between March and October, but schedules can change because of weather.
To prevent damage, we don't cut grass:
- during heavy rainfall
- after long dry spells when the grass doesn't grow
During this time, teams are moved onto alternative tasks such as:
- rough grass maintenance
- conservation area maintenance
- meadow grass maintenance
- litter picking
Operations will restart when the conditions allow, however these delays may affect the cutting frequency for the year.
How often we cut grass
We aim to cut the grass as follows:
- Residential, parks, open spaces: 15 cuts per year
- Cemeteries: 16 cuts per year
- High amenity areas, such as crematoriums: 30 cuts per year
- Sports pitches: 30 cuts per year
- Meadow grass: 3 cuts per year
- Rough grass & conservation grass: 2 cuts per year
As previously mentioned, frequency of cuts can change because of the weather in the previous months.
Grass cuttings
We don't collect grass cuttings, but we try to make sure that any cuttings are blown back onto grass before teams leave the area.
We aim to do this the same working day when possible.
This is to keep footpaths and roads clear.
More information
If you have any questions about grass cutting in your area, please call the Customer Contact Centre on 0191 427 7000 or email customer.help@southtyneside.gov.uk.