Grass cutting and weed spraying
- privately owned
We WILL cut grass on all District Council owned land such as;
- public open spaces
- parks
- memorial gardens
- and also some owned by Worcestershire County Council (within 30mph zones) cut approximately six to eight times per summer season. More information on travel and roads from Worcestershire County Council
Weed spraying
We are working hard to reduce our use of herbicides in the district.
Herbicides are only used in key areas which require management. Spraying takes place early in the season and when the weather conditions are right. We only spray when it is dry and there is no wind. This means we don’t need to spray again later in the year.
Other things we are doing to cut down our use of herbicides include leaving wild areas for pollinators and cattle grazing on our reserves.
We also work with partners including Pesticide Action Network and Worcestershire County Council to make sure we are doing all we can to reduce herbicide use. We are kept up to date with details what is happening locally and nationally, and of alternative practices.
We do need to control and get rid of some species which cause harm to humans and animals. This includes giant Hogweed, Japanese knotweed and ragwort.
Our responsibility is to keep our district safe, clean, and looking good. We are committed to this and will continue to assess the situation regarding weed management on an ongoing basis.
Japanese Knotweed
Responsibility for controlling Japanese Knotweed rests with the landowner or occupier of the land. We take appropriate action when Japanese Knotweed is found on the land and open spaces we manage. This involves minimising the risk of it spreading and aiming to eradicate it in line with good practice.
Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9, Part II of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 making it an offence Under Section 14 (2) (a) of the Act to “plant or otherwise cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild”. The Environment Agency Knotweed Code of Practice states: “It is not an offence to have Knotweed on your land and it is not a notifiable weed”. It is generally thought that private land and in particular gardens do not come within the definition of wild. However, allowing it to spread from your garden may be an offence.
Getting rid of Japanese Knotweed
The 'Environmental Protection Act 1990' classes discarded weed or soil which contained rhizomes as 'controlled waste' to which the Duty of Care applies.
Soil containing rhizomes can be regarded as contaminated land and as such has to be disposed of at a suitably licensed landfill site. When disposing of the material the landfill operator needs to be aware of the presence of the Knotweed to ensure it is buried appropriately.
It is recommended that you do not try to cut the weed down, mow or strim it. This can make it spread.
Japanese Knotweed cannot be placed in any of your bins or be taken to a recycling centre. It must be disposed of as 'controlled waste' because of how easily it spreads. It must not be composted.
Government Guidance explains how to control and dispose of Japanese Knotweed through chemical spraying and burning.
Raising concerns about Japanese Knotweed
Please contact us if you think Japanese Knotweed is growing on our land or open spaces. We take responsibility for managing our land seriously, but do not have the resources to assess knotweed on land that we are not responsible for. If you believe that the weed is on your neighbour’s land and is, or is at risk of, spreading to your land, then you should consider what steps to take.
If you haven’t already done so, we recommend that you try to speak with your neighbour as they may not realise it is an issue. If this doesn’t help, then you may be able to take private action against them and you should take independent advice from citizens advice bureau or a solicitor about doing so.
Further information can be obtained by using these links:
GOV.UK guidance on preventing Japanese Knotweed from spreading
Local Gov website advice on tackling a growing problem - Japanese Knotweed