Oxford City Council has announced it will cut most grass verges twice instead of once this year.

The council has been trialling a handful of ‘no mow’ pilot areas in Oxford to increase biodiversity.  

Last year, it only cut verges once a year in late summer.

However, "following significant feedback from residents", and budget decisions by the city and county councils, this year it will cut highway grass verges twice a year, it said.

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Eight Oxford roads that were part of the original 'no mow' pilot will continue to be cut only once as this has been found to have increased biodiversity.

Here the cuttings are collected to further help boost biodiversity and encourage a greater variety of wildflowers to establish. 

These verges are in: Marston Road, Sunderland Avenue, Headley Way (Oxford Road Bypass)/Eastern bypass, the Roundway, Bayswater Road, Abingdon Road, Adderbury roundabout, and Grenoble Road (larger verge section/ narrow verge section to be mowed to allow access).

Where roadside verges are cut twice a year, this will be during the summer and autumn to allow wildflowers to complete their full lifecycle, which typically takes six to eight weeks.   

The council will continue to mow grass verges near junctions where visibility is required all year round.

Residents can report their concerns about grass verges impacting visibility, on FixMyStreet. 

Communal gardens in council properties 

Communal gardens around council flats and homes will be mowed twice a month from April to October. 

Parks, green spaces, and sports pitches in parks 

Grass in parks and green spaces will be cut every six weeks.  

Football and playing pitches in parks are maintained as short grass for sports matches during the football season from August until the end of May. 

The off-season during the summer allows the grass to recover and regrow.

At this point the pitches become part of the wider parks, and will be cut every six weeks until the beginning of the new football season. 

Parish councils 

Parish councils are responsible for grass cutting in all localised areas, including sports facilities, village greens and some highway verges.  

Grass verge cutting approaches are ultimately the decision of the parish. Parish councils may elect to pay for further additional cuts of verges if they wish to.  

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Councillor Anna Railton, cabinet member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice, said: "As we work to tackle the ecological and climate emergency, it is important that we adapt our approach in response to local needs.

"By increasing our grass verge cutting to twice a year we are listening to feedback from local residents, while also helping to support biodiversity within the city.

"I look forward to seeing our verges bloom for another year.”