A pain in the grass
Growing concern over the lack of cutting
Residents and visitors to Hamilton have made fresh calls this week for South Lanarkshire Council to step up their grasscutting.
The local authority took the decision back in March to suspend a number of maintenance services due to the coronavirus outbreak, however, they were slowly re-introduced in May.
But the service has still been working at a reduced capacity, and now as the country slowly eases out of lockdown many locals feel that the council should be stepping up their efforts to make all areas around the town tidy again.
Some grass verges have weeds and grass growing at well over 2ft in some areas of Hamilton and beyond.
The council have cut some recreational areas, however residents have been frustrated that not all areas have been getting done.
One area surrounding Hamilton Palace Grounds Retail Park has grass growing high on a roundabout, leaving many motorists concerned about their visibility and safety when driving.
South Lanarkshire Council says the service has been under constant review, with their number one priority being the safety of their staff.
Some residents are being told that it will still be another three to four weeks before home gardens are being cut.
Ian Stewart told the Advertiser: “It’s the same everywhere. Weeds growing at the road side all over the place.
“It makes the whole place look dirty and run down.
“Some old people have had their grass cut but their pathway is full of weeds two foot high. And some of the hedges are hanging over their windows so the people can’t even see out.”
The council’s head of facilities, waste and grounds services, Alistair Mckinnon, said: “Although the grass on the raised roundabouts is overgrown, the open aspect of the roundabout suggests that there are no sight line issues.
“The resumption of grass cutting operations on the roundabouts is included as part of our grass-cutting recovery programme.”