Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Council cut back on land maintenance
Public grassed and landscaped areas which are not owned by North Lanarkshire Council will no longer be maintained by the authority after next month.
The Advertiser told in June how residents across Monklands had suddenly discovered that local green areas had been left to grow, following a cost- cutting decision saving £90,000 per year.
Council officials then reversed the controversial decision for this year only – in recognition of the difficulty of making alternative arrangements during the coronavirus crisis – but have now confirmed that the service will cease after this year’s final maintenance cycle.
A statement from the authority said: “Residents are advised that the council will no longer maintain grassed and landscaped areas that it does not own – after the final grass cut of the season in early October, it will be the responsibility of the landowners to maintain these areas.”
Environment convener Michael McPake, the Glenboig councillor, commented: “We understand that the decision to stop maintaining some areas of land will impact on residents, and that they may be unhappy – however, in the current financial situation, we are simply unable to continue to provide this service.
“I can assure residents that this decision was not taken lightly and savings made will be reinvested in maintaining vital local services.
“Wi t h significant reductions in government funding, we have been forced to make difficult decisions to achieve the necessary savings to balance our budget.”
He added: “We have published information for residents, setting out how they find out who owns any areas of land near their home and options for future maintenance.”
A searchable map is available for people to view online at https://nlcmaps. maps. arcgis. com/ apps/ webappviewer/index.html ?id=24cf1ae71d2646c1840 10af405ceeff1
Residents in areas including Carnbroe and Monklands Estate were among those who suddenly found this spring that local green areas were no longer being maintained following the original introduction of the new policy.
They told the Advertiser how they had only found out “by chance” after enquiring why grassy areas which had been maintained by the council for decades had been left unattended earlier this year.
North Lanarkshire had originally outlined its decision by saying: “Areas of land not owned by the council will no longer be maintained – responsibility for these lies with the owners, in line with their title deeds.
“If residents in these areas choose to have the land privately maintained, they would require to determine ownership of the land and