Campaigners hit out after grass cutting halted on busy city road

Members of Hull Civic Society said they felt they had to make a stand after taking a look at the overgrown verges, embankments, roundabouts and central reservations along the A63 within the Hull boundary.

Unsightly weeds are growing rampant around a newly replanted roundabout at the entrance to Hull Docks, the first point of entry to the city for thousands of ferry passengers.

The roundabout was refurbished at a cost of around £100,000, paid for by the Highways Agency, only a few months ago.

The civic society has now written to local MPs to express its concern and will be meeting councillors and officials at Hull Council today, after they also expressed their concern.

In a letter to Hull Civic Society, the agency says it is not undertaking “routine amenity cuts” as part of cost cutting and is “reviewing and challenging” whether grass cutting is “cost-effective or necessary and whether it is good for the environment”.

Chairman of Hull Civic Society John Netherwood said they believed the agency’s policy was “in every sense a false economy” because of the poor impression it would make on city visitors.

He said: “This is our main thoroughfare into the city, it is the first thing that a million people see in the city. It’s not a motorway, it is an urban boulevard. It should be kept as well as the rest of the city, which is kept in superb condition by the city council and they have 10 times as much to mow.”

Mr Netherwood added: “It is more than disappointing. They have abandoned a major part of the landscape of the city. I believe they haven’t properly maintained the road since it was built in 2003. We have a situation that basically looks Third World for people coming off the ferry.”

There is an argument that letting grass and weeds grow provides more habitat for insects and other wildlife, but Mr Netherwood said: “Everything has its place and in an urban setting. The maintenance of landscaping needs to be appropriate – providing additional homes for a few more insects shouldn’t be at the top of the agenda.”

In its letter, the agency stressed it was not abandoning all cutting of verges, saying: “Our grass cutting activities in Hull are targeted towards maintaining visibility and addressing issues of highway and road user safety. This is in line with current Highways Agency policy.

“Any areas of landscaping that fall into this category will be routinely cut, but no routine ‘amenity’ cuts will be undertaken. (We) appreciate that this will be disappointing and are exploring what options may be available given its urban location.”

Coun Martin Mancey said he met agency representatives to ask them to make a special dispensation for Hedon Road. He said: “As a council we have no jurisdiction over grass verge and roundabout maintenance on trunk roads because they come under the auspices of the Highways Agency, and there is no cross funding available.

“Given that it is now Highways Agency policy not to maintain vegetation other than on safety grounds, we met the agency last week to ask them to make a special dispensation for Hedon Road because it is a major though route for residents, businesses and visitors to our city, rather than a standard road.”

The Highways Agency paid for extensive works to the roundabout earlier this year. The roundabout, which had long been an eyesore, was divided by fencing to resemble groynes and set out with cobbles and was planted with more than 5,000 plants.

The project was regarded as particularly timely given the recent announcement that Siemens is developing a wind turbine factory in the city.

The agency said the policy applied across its network.