Council apologises after fed-up Shropshire residents resort to 'cutting public grass themselves'

Shropshire Council has apologised after Oswestry residents frustrated by unmaintained green spaces took it upon themselves to buy equipment, cut grass and clean up litter.

Residents at Vyrnwy Place raised concerns about the issue, saying grassed areas haven't been maintained for months and litter has “built up”.

It has resulted in long grass and overgrown vegetation which they say have left the spaces unusable for children.

Stefan Varlinkov, who is the Conservative candidate running in the town council by-election for the Gatacre ward in August, said: “Residents shouldn’t have to take matters into their own hands and pay out of their own pockets to maintain public green spaces.

"People already pay council tax and rightly expect basic services such as grass cutting to be delivered.

“The current state of these areas is simply unacceptable. Children have lost somewhere safe to play, litter has built up, and the whole area has been left looking neglected.

“I’ve asked Shropshire Council to explain who is responsible for maintaining these green spaces, why they have been left for so long, and when residents can expect the work to be completed. Local people deserve clear answers and, more importantly, action.”

Mr Varlinkov said he has requested a full written response from the council, including details of future maintenance schedules and whether residents who paid to clear the area themselves will be reimbursed.

What did Shropshire Council say?

Shropshire Council’s portfolio holder for highways and waste apologised on behalf of the authority for the state of Vyrnwy Place and said its contractor is addressing “catch-up works”.

Councillor David Vasmer said: "Shropshire Council would like to apologise for the long grass and litter at Vrynwy Place in Oswestry.

"We understand residents' frustration where grass growth has impacted the usability of open spaces and where litter may have become obscured within longer vegetation.

"The disruption to the grass-cutting schedules has been caused by our maintenance contractor, Kier, taking over a service on April 1 that was done in the past by a sub-contractor. There were some unforeseen problems and Kier are now working through a programme of recovery and catch-up works to address locations where maintenance has been affected.

"The situation has been further complicated by the transfer of responsibility for a number of grassed areas previously maintained by STAR Housing.

"Approximately 53,000 square metres of land was identified as requiring clarification regarding maintenance responsibility, and work has been ongoing to establish ownership and bring these areas into the appropriate maintenance programmes where necessary.

"In relation to reports that residents have purchased equipment to undertake grass cutting themselves, the council is not currently aware of the specific details regarding what equipment may have been purchased, who purchased it, or any agreement that may have been in place.

"As a general principle, the council would only consider reimbursement where prior authorisation or instruction had been given by an authorised representative of the council. At present, we are not aware of any such arrangement in relation to this location."