Transport for Buckinghamshire: On track with all things green

With the wonderful weather we have been experiencing during lockdown, Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) is right on track with essential work on ‘all things green’. The work during this time includes grass cutting, weed spraying and highway tree work.

TfB looks after both rural and urban grass cutting activities. Rural grass cutting is carried out to ensure good visibility for road users and consists of four cuts. These are two ‘vison splay’ cuts, which include junctions and other areas where long grass would obscure sight lines, followed by one 1m width cut across all rural verges, with the final vision splay cut in October. The first scheduled cuts were completed at the beginning of May and the second cuts are already under way, meaning TfB is ahead of schedule.

Urban grass cutting takes place between April and October each year, weather-dependant, with each rotation taking seven to eight weeks to complete. Once the grass is cut, it is not collected but is cleared from footpaths and the carriageway. TfB’s urban grass cutting schedule consists of four cuts, the first of which has now been completed. In some urban areas, grass cutting is done by the local Town or Parish Council through devolved services.

Along with grass cutting, strimming needs to be carried out around obstacles such as street furniture. This will usually take place at the same time, though there may be a small delay of two or three days. Once the strimming is completed, the clippings are also not collected but will be dispersed from any footpaths to the cut verge.

Weed spraying, which includes all priority footways and kerb lines within the urban areas, will be carried out over three applications to be effective, the first of which was completed mid-May and a week early. The second application of the year started 1 June and is currently on schedule.

TfB’s tree work is generated from a risk-based survey of highway trees carried out in different areas over a three-year rotation. Last year the survey was carried out in the Amersham area, creating the schedule of work for this year. Details of the programme of works are being planned and will start in late August to coincide with the end of the bird nesting season. The only exception to this will be any trees that are deemed dead/dying or dangerous which will be dealt with appropriately.

Cabinet Member for Transport, Nick Naylor, said: ‘I am incredibly proud of the hard work being done by our crews at TfB, to keep seasonal essential work ahead of schedule. It isn’t an easy task to work during this time in line with Government guidelines, as well as the recent warm weather, and we really appreciate all that the teams do. Thank you!’