GRASS VERGE HIDES ROAD DANGER
GRASS verges along a busy Gwynedd road are “an accident waiting to happen” because they haven’t been cut.
That is the claim from some angry residents in Bangor who are now calling on the council to maintain the overgrown verges at Penrhos Road in Penrhosgarnedd.
Some say the verges have grown so tall that motorists now struggle to see oncoming cars when as they pull out onto the road.
But Gwynedd Council say that due to the “huge cuts” it faces, the authority can no longer cut the grass as frequently as it used to.
But Bernard Jones, a community councillor for Pentir, said the grass is at least two foot high in some areas.
He said: “The grass is so long, you could hide a car behind it.
“It’s an accident waiting too happen.
“We pay the highest rates in Bangor but we get peanuts back from the council.
“The grass is long on the green amenity patches on Penrhos Road leading down to Coed-y-Maes and Tregaean.
“It’s getting dangerous and makes the area look messy.
“The council have left it for too long now. They used to cut the grass five times a year, now it’s only three.
“I’ve complained to Gwynedd Council four times but nothing has happened. It’s a disgrace.”
Another resident Buddug Jones added: “This has been a problem for around ten weeks.
“It’s dangerous because if you’re driving to a junction on the road, you can’t see the oncoming traffic.”
The residents’ reaction comes just days after critics hit out at Gwynedd Council on social media for neglecting their grass-cutting duties in other spots around the county.
Some even took to Facebook to express their concern and disgust with the situation.
One comical picture posted by the Facebook group Gwynedd Memes read: “Gwynedd Council cutting everything... but the f***ing grass”.
A Gwynedd Council spokesman said: “Every effort is made to respond to localised problems caused by the change in the policy, however as the Council is responsible for 131 playgrounds, 16 cemeteries and over 2,500 miles of road verges, not all issues can be addressed simultaneously.
“In response to the recent spate of growth, the Council has brought forward the next scheduled cut in locations throughout the county, and this work is being carried out as quickly as possible.”