Grass Cutting in Public Areas

Each year, between April and October, we routinely cut more than 7 million square metres of grass across Moray’s land, parks and countryside. Grass edging is carried out on alternate visits to sites, whereas grass clippings are not routinely collected.

Within the allocated budget, we prioritise the cutting of grass within cemeteries and main public parks. The frequency of grass cutting is site specific and also budget dependant.

Report a concern about the condition of grass in a public area

The following arrangements are in place for the 2019/20 grass cutting season, due to decisions made at the February 2019/20 budget-setting meeting:

We’re reducing grass cutting in housing areas and open amenity spaces.  This means that housing areas, as well as playing fields, and some parks, will have a single strip cut adjacent to paths – this is to stop vegetation creeping onto paths and damaging them, and to allow for pedestrian access.

Some special arrangements have been agreed as exceptions to the approach above:

• War memorials, full sized-sports pitches, grass around children’s play equipment (where equipment is on land owned by the council) , informal sports pitches, flood schemes and roadside verges (as per roads maintenance requirements) will continue to be cut
• Council housing areas will continue to be cut as per previous years; this will be funded from the Housing Revenue Account (funded by council house rent) so this will not have an impact on the savings approved by councillors
• A small number of high amenity plots in prominent positions will be cut. Aberlour: The Square; Elgin: Town Hall, Council HQ, Brewery Park (between Landshut Bridge and Elgin Cathedral); Biblical Garden; Fochabers: The Square; Forres: St Laurence Church, War Veterans Cottages; Keith: Bandstand, Matthew Stewart Gardens, War Memorial Gardens; Lossiemouth: James Square, Esplanade, The Cross. These locations have been identified in consultation with local councillors.
• The cemeteries which have had no burials in the past 10 years will be reduced to four cuts per season: Aberlour old cemetery; Burghead: old cemetery, old churchyard; Cullen old churchyard; Dipple cemetery; Dundurcas cemetery; Edinkillie old cemetery; Elgin cemetery (west section), Spynie Churchyard; Keith old cemetery; Lossiemouth: Kinneddar cemetery; Lhanbryde: Kirkhill cemetery, old cemetery; Macallan cemetery; Marypark: Inveravon cemetery; Mortlach old cemetery; Rafford old cemetery; Rathven old cemetery; Rothiemay old cemetery; Tomintoul: St  Margaret’s cemetery.
• Rural footpaths will be reduced to one cut per season
• We won’t maintain grass on sites which we don’t own or control: Aberlour Villa playing field; Archiestown playing field; Ballindalloch: (four small picnic sites); Benrinnes playing field; Buckie: High Street, Steinbeck Road, Craigview and Chancellor Road, Reidhaven Street seafront; Burghead: Coastguard Area; Clochan Village Hall; Craigellachie tennis court area; Cullen: Albert Terrace; Bayview Road; Dallas:  Houldsworth Institute play area, West Road verge; Darnaway: Redstone play area; Deskford Hall; Dufftown: Fife Street; Edinvillie Hall; Elgin: Morriston playing field; Woodlands Crescent; Findhorn: playing field, Findhorn Village Centre, Hendry’s Green; Findochty: bowling green, Jubilee Terrace, New Street, Church Street, The Slip, Seaview Road; Cliff Terrace; Fochabers: West Street; Forres: Meikle Crook; Garmouth playing field, playing field car park, Station Road; golf course entrance; Glenlivet Hall playing field; Hopeman: East and West Beach; Inchberry Hall playing field; Keith: Auld Bridge; Kingston car park area; Knock playing field; Lossiemouth: Gospel Hall (James Street),  Seatown Road; Mosstodloch: play area adjacent to petrol station; Mulben playing field; Mundole: Recraig; Nether Dallachy; Newmill playing field; Portgordon: football pitch; Earl Street, Railway Bridge; Station Road; Portknockie:  Harbour Terrace, Patrol Place, Patrol Road; Rafford playing field; Rothes: Green Street area; Spey Bay Village Hall; Tomintoul: The Square; Tomnavoulin: Village Green; Tynet Chapel.

Across Moray local communities have expressed willingness to help with grass cutting, but the kind of help offered differs in each area and this means that we need to work out the legal and other implications for each option.

Any community groups looking to get involved with grass cutting can email us for an indication of the cost of cutting playing fields/open amenity grounds which we own.

We’re also in the process of drafting a volunteers’ procedure for communities who would like to help with the maintenance of grass in Moray.  This will set out options and steps that communities would need to take to ensure that volunteers and the council can deliver grass cutting services safely.