Grounds Maintenance

Highway verge maintenance is the responsibility of Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) as the Highways authority. Kettering Borough Council (KBC) cut the grass on their behalf and up until 31st March 2011 NCC have funded 5 cuts across all towns and villages.

Following a budget review in February this year, Northamptonshire County Council have cut the budget for verge maintenance so they now only fund 2 cuts a year. Kettering Borough Council have decided to continue to maintain the level of the subsidy it provides, in order to maintain higher standards than can be achieved from the County Council's budget alone.

There will however be a significant reduction in service due to Northamptonshire County Council's budget cuts in this area. There will be fewer mowers allocated to verge maintenance, meaning that the number of cuts has to be reduced; consequently grass verges will be longer than in recent years. In addition, the functions of strimming around obstacles and blowing the grass back onto the verge,  will no longer be carried out.

If you would like more information, or would like to express any concerns you have as a result of this reduction in service please contact your local Northamptonshire County Council Councillor which you will be able to locate on the County website Find my County Councillor

Alternatively you can ring Northamptonshire County Council on 0300 126 1000.

These changes do not affect the standard of service the Borough Council provides in its parks and open spaces, or on housing estates where it is the landowner, which are unchanged from previous years.

Summary of grass cutting carried out by KBC and NCC: