council owned grass

scott_campbell9

Unsure of correct heading and where to post but I'm hoping for help. We own our property but the council own the front lawn. The council stopped cutting the lawns due.to cost saving and put it back to us.. We have maintained ours and the 2 neighbours for the past couple of years and they look great. Even though they own it we cannot alter or pave on it. Now for another cost cutting the council have asked us to pay £25 a year to empty the grass bins...

Anyone experience this?

Council owns it! We have to cut it! But the council wants to charge us to dispose their grass....

thanks

glasgowdan

Do any neogjboirs leave the grass alone? Are you planning to live there long term? The bins aren't grass bins, they are garden waste bins.

If it were me i would be planting a few wee trees and doing a very basic rough cut of the grass once a month

Comms69

When the council said 'you cut it' did you not say 'sure, for £5 a week' (or whatever amount).


It's less than 50p a week to have your garden waste collected, in the grand scheme I would just let it go. But on principal I agree with you.

molerat

When are these stupid councils going to realise that charging for garden waste bins is going to come back and bite them in the bum. Tipping waste costs them by the ton. If my council decided to charge for garden waste I could easily fit it into my normal waste bin but would probably triple the weight of that bin. Coupled with the fact that the truck would probably have to go and empty several more times whilst covering the same route probably means it will cost the council more in the end as well destroying any "green" credentials they harp on about.

Timpu

glasgowdan wrote: »

If it were me i would be planting a few wee trees and doing a very basic rough cut of the grass once a month

The OP's set up sounds much the same as ours. We've planted a few small things that we don't mind losing, if the council wish to do anything to the land one day. We've deliberately gone with low maintenance stuff, I'd get a bit peeved with mowing it throughout the summer.

sleepymans

Sorry, I’m not more sympathetic, but when I consider the priorities for Council funding, keeping your property looking nice at ratepayers expense isn’t what I consider a priority.
Pay (like the majority of us already have to) or just let it all over grow. Your choice.

Comms69

sleepymans wrote: »

Sorry, I’m not more sympathetic, but when I consider the priorities for Council funding, keeping your property looking nice at ratepayers expense isn’t what I consider a priority.
Pay (like the majority of us already have to) or just let it all over grow. Your choice.

But it's the council property, not the OPs.

Aylesbury_Duck

You don't "have to cut it". Grass reaches a maximum height and yes, we've been conditioned to see cut grass as neat and tidy, but no harm will come of letting it grow to knee length. As for disposing of the cuttings, you can either cut it regularly and leave the cuttings to mulch in, or just compost them - they will compost down to a tiny volume in no time, meaning you don't need to pay the council to empty the bins.

scott_campbell9

It's principle. The council gave us all letters a few years ago to say we needed to maintain the front lawns because of cuts! Many in the neighbourhood testing the council and left it to grow..But they did not and because of eyesores all ended up cutting it. They won't even cut elderly residents hence the reason why I cut theirs too. Why should we have to pay to dispose of their property ? They have been approached to sell it to us but no-one is allowed.

scott_campbell9

scott_campbell9 wrote: »

It's principle. The council gave us all letters a few years ago to say we needed to maintain the front lawns because of cuts! Many in the neighbourhood testing the council and left it to grow..But they did not and because of eyesores all ended up cutting it. They won't even cut elderly residents hence the reason why I cut theirs too. Why should we have to pay to dispose of their property ? They have been approached to sell it to us but no-one is allowed.

to rub salt into the wounds they have just gave a London firm the contract to get letters out to us all at the cost of £52000

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm more than a little confused - you say you own the property you live in, but call the Council-owned grass your "lawn".

Do you mean grass outside your front garden (ie grass verges to the roads - sited beyond the wall to your front garden) or do you mean your front garden?