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 collected after cutting.
We cut grass on council owned land i.e. parks, schools, verges, cemeteries. We do not cut crass on privately owned land.
The following arrangements are in place for the 2021/22 grass cutting season.
Arrangements are as per last season.
Open Space Areas are cut fortnightly between April and October.
Maintenance of these areas is funded from the Housing Revenue Account.
Banked areas and rougher areas cut will be three times between April and October.
Arrangements are as per last season
Open areas cut fortnightly between April and October.
We aim to cut grass in open spaces areas fortnightly between April & October. Grass edges are strimmed on every alternative visit. We do not collect grass clippings after cutting.
Please note that we do not carry out maintenance at the following locations where the land is not owned by Moray Council.
Buckie Area
• Portgordon Football Pitch
• Earl Street, Portgordon
• Railway Bridge, Portgordon
• Harbour Terrace, Portknockie
• Patrol Place, Portknockie
• Patrol Road, Portknockie
• Albert Terrace, Cullen
• Bayview Road, Cullen
• Craigview and Chancellor Road, Buckie
• Reidhaven Street Sea Front, Buckie
• Jubilee Terrace, Findochty
• New Street, Findochty
• Church Street, Findochty
• The Slip, Findochty
• Seaview Road, Findochty
• Tynet Chapel
• High Street, Buckie
• Station Road, Portgordon
• Steinbeck Road, Buckie
• Cliff Terrace, Findochty
• Findochty Bowling Green
• Deskford Hall
• Clochan Village Hall
Elgin Area
• Inchberry Hall Playing Field
• Morriston Playing Field
• Woodlands Crescent, Elgin
Forres Area
• Findhorn Playing Field
• Findhorn Village Centre
• Findhorn Parish Church
• Henry’s Green, Findhorn
• Part of Meikle Crook, Forres
• West Road verge, Dallas
• Redstone Play Area, Darnaway
• Houldsworth Institute Play Area, Dallas
• Rafford Playing Field
• Redcraig, Mundole
Keith Area
• Mulben Playing Field
• Newmill Playing Field
• Knock Playing Field
• Auld Bridge, Keith
Laich Area
• Coastguard Area, Burghead
• Seatown Road, Lossiemouth
• East and West Beach, Hopeman
• Gospel Hall, Lossiemouth
Milnes Area
• Garmouth Playing Field
• Garmouth Playing Field Car Park
• Car Park Area, Kingston
• Nether Dallachy
• West Street, Fochabers
• Station Road, Garmouth
• Garmouth Golf Course Entrance
• Dean Place Play Area, Mosstodloch
• Spey Bay Village Hall
Speyside Area
• Glenlivet Hall Playing Field
• Archiestown Playing Field
• Aberlour Villa Playing Field
• The Square, Tomintoul
• Green Street Area, Rothes
• Village Green, Tomnavoulin
• Tennis Court Area, Craigellachie
• Edinvillie Hall
• Fife Street, Dufftown
• Benrinnes Playing Field
Open areas cut fortnightly between April and October.
For cemeteries with no interments for the 10 years previous, four cuts per year will be carried out:
- Burghead Churchyard
- Elgin Cemetery West Section
- Lossiemouth Kinneddar Cemetery
- Lhanbryde Kirkhill Cemetery
- Lhanbryde Old Churchyard
- Archiestown MacAllan cemetery
- Marypark Inveravon Churchyard
- Rafford Old Cemetery
Roadside grass cutting usually begins in May and continues September. A one metre grass width is cut with increased areas of grass cutting at public road junctions to provide improved visibility for road users.
‘A’ class roads receive two grass cuts per year.
All other roads receive one grass cut per year.
For efficiency a programme of grass cutting is followed rather than responding to localised requests for cutting.
Note – Trunk Roads (e.g. A96 and A95 west of Keith) are not maintained by Moray Council.
Report a concern about the condition of grass in a public area
What other options are being considered?
Community empowerment
Across Moray local communities have expressed willingness to help with grass cutting, but the kind of help offered differs in each area (e.g. individuals or groups volunteering or communities wanting to engage local contactors) this means that we need to work out the legal and other implications for each option and this takes time to do.
Community Asset Transfer provides a range of options for transferring responsibility to the community, including management agreements, leases and a full transfer of title. Communities wanting to find out more about this option can email CAT@moray.gov.uk to discuss options.
Any community groups looking to get involved with grass cutting on land that we own can email: landsandparks@moray.gov.uk to discuss options. We’ll make every effort to get through as many of these enquiries before the start of this year’s grass cutting season, however if there is a high volume of enquiries this may not be possible. For this reason, members have been encouraged to open a dialogue with their local communities on this issue since the grass cutting changes were first discussed in late 2018.
Sponsorship
We’re working to offer a number of new and dynamic sponsorship and advertising opportunities for businesses of all sizes, with a view to these meeting the costs of improved maintenance and grass cutting, though it’s unlikely that this will be in place for the current grass cutting season.