St Leonards grass 'nearly 4ft in height' is 'putting pedestrian and drivers' lives at risk', says councillor

Cllr Lucian Fernando, Hastings borough councillor for Silverhill ward, said the grass on the verges in Ashbrook Road and the surrounding areas had grown to almost 4ft in height.

He is now calling for East Sussex County Council (ESCC), which is responsible for grass cutting across the county, to take immediate action.

Cllr Fernando said the lack of maintenance of pavements and the ‘overgrown grass on the verges’ is resulting in ‘compromised pedestrian safety’.

He said: “Following numerous concerns raised by residents regarding the deteriorating condition of Ashbrook Road and the surrounding areas, I personally visited the site to assess the situation.

“To my astonishment, I discovered the grass on the verges had grown to a height of nearly 4ft, significantly obstructing the view of drivers and creating a hazardous environment for pedestrians as well.

“I escalated this matter to the assistant operations director for transport and the East Sussex Highways department.

“It is important to highlight that a significant portion, 70 per cent to be precise, of the council tax collected by Hastings Borough Council is allocated to East Sussex County Council. This substantial contribution is intended to ensure essential services, such as road maintenance and safety, are upheld to the highest standards. However, it seems the responsible authorities have failed in their duty to utilise these funds effectively and address the pressing issues raised by residents.

“I strongly urge East Sussex County Council to reconsider their priorities and take immediate action to rectify this perilous situation. The safety of our residents should be paramount and should never be compromised due to budget constraints or negligence.”

In Hastings, the town gets two grass cuts a year from the county council.

Each year around October, the county council said it asks all parish and town councils with urban grass which, out of three options, they would like to take forward for the next year, namely two cuts over the course of a year to be carried out by ESCC at no cost to the parish/town council; extra cuts, where parish/town councils may fund an additional four cuts to be carried out by the county council, totalling six cuts; or the parish/town councils takes on responsibility to deliver all urban grass cutting in their area.

An East Sussex Highways spokesperson said: “Grass cutting began in Hastings this week. Areas that have not yet been cut will be completed over the next few weeks.

“The current policy is to fund two grass cuts per year in urban areas. However, the option is available for local borough, district, town and parish councils to take on responsibility for urban grass cutting themselves or to pay us for additional cuts, although these options have not been taken up in Hastings.

“We also continue to fulfil our statutory duty to cut grass as and when required when there is a road safety requirement to do so, such as at junctions.

“Residents can check when the grass in their area will be cut or report any safety concerns on the East Sussex Highways website.”