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This petition is based on the lack of grass cutting and general maintenance I have seen in my local area over recent months, and continues from similar experiences last year.

The grass on our estate has not been cut in two months in the peak of the growing season.
The kerbs, gutters and road crossing points are covered in dirt, litter and tall weeds – the record being a 5.5 foot high thistle growing in a kerb so thick with weeds you could no longer see the kerbstones for at least 100m.
And across the borough I can see pavements, footways and footpaths that are being so invaded by grass and weeds that they are down to single-file or worse, limiting access for many and hiding road/cycle signs completely from view.

All of this seems to have come about from a quietly reduced grass cutting and maintenance schedule which I do not believe has been agreed in council meetings.

On my estate, our councillors have asked repeatedly about the grass cutting schedule only to be told that it had been done.  This is demonstrably untrue as evidenced by the 2ft high grass, proliferation of weeds, brambles protruding 5ft into the road, and invasive spikey bushes blocking paths.

Even the kerb cleaners that come round cut corners and miss key parts of the nearby estates which can be clearly identified due to isolated areas of weed growth in the gutters on bends etc.

Some crossing points and traffic islands are so heavy in weeds and dirt that the crossing point itself can be hard to see.  The petition photo is of a gutter that hasn't been swept in years and the kerb stones are now completely hidden.  The road was even top-dressed around it recently, without first removing the weeds.  At one point there is a thistle more than 5ft high growing in this very gutter.

Petition to: Wokingham Borough Council

We, the undersigned residents, taxpayers and users of public spaces within the Wokingham Borough, call upon Wokingham Borough Council to immediately improve the maintenance of grassed areas, parks, children’s play areas, housing estates, verges, hedgerows, pedestrian crossing points and public highways throughout the local community.

Over recent years, residents have witnessed a significant decline in routine grounds maintenance.  Grass in public spaces is frequently left uncut for extended periods, bushes and shrubs are not regularly trimmed, weeds are allowed to spread along kerbs and pavements, crossing points are covered in dirt and weeds, and overgrown hedgerows increasingly encroach onto pavements, footpaths and roads.

This lack of maintenance is having an impact on our community by:

• Making parks and children’s play areas less safe, accessible and enjoyable for families-
• Creating an untidy and neglected appearance across local neighbourhoods, even on the new-build estates
• Obstructing footways, reducing visibility and causing inconvenience for pedestrians, wheelchair users, parents with pushchairs and elderly residents
• Allowing weeds and vegetation to damage kerbs, pavements and public infrastructure
• Encouraging litter accumulation and reducing civic pride in local areas
• Creating potential road safety concerns where vegetation restricts sightlines for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Residents pay council tax with a reasonable expectation that public spaces, verges, estates and recreational areas will be maintained to an acceptable standard.  While we recognise the financial pressure faced by local authorities, basic grounds maintenance is an essential public server that contributes to public safety, community wellbeing and the appearance of our neighbourhoods.

We also recognise and support the principle of managing certain public spaces in a way that promotes biodiversity, supports pollinators and enhances habitats for wildlife.  We acknowledge that not every area needs to be mown to a traditional parkland standard and that carefully planned wildflower meadows can provide significant environmental benefits.

However, managed biodiversity is not the same thing as abandonment, and reduced mowing should not become a substitute for proper grounds maintenance.  Areas designated for biodiversity enhancement should be actively managed, clearly identified and appropriately planted with native wildflowers and other pollinator-friendly species.  Simply allowing grass, weeds and invasive vegetation to grow unchecked does not create attractive or effective wildlife habitats and can instead result in public spaces and estates appearing neglected, abandoned and poorly maintained.

Residents are concerned that many verges, estates, parks and public spaces currently show little evidence of active ecological management.  Instead, they appear to be subject to a reduction in maintenance without any corresponding investment in biodiversity improvements.

We believe it is entirely possible to support wildlife whilst also maintaining clean, safe and attractive neighbourhoods.  Well-managed wildflower areas can coexist with regularly cut grass around footpaths, play areas, road junctions, public amenities and residential estates.  Such an approach improves biodiversity whilst preserving community pride and public enjoyment of shared spaces.  We therefore call upon the council to adopt a balanced approach that combines environmental stewardship with proper maintenance standards, ensuring that public spaces remain welcoming, safe and attractive for residents whilst continuing to support local wildlife and pollinator populations.

We therefore petition Wokingham Borough Council to:

• Increase the frequency of grass cutting in public parks, children’s play areas, verges and council maintained open spaces
• Implement a regular programme of hedge, shrub and bush trimming throughout the borough
• Introduce routine weed clearance from kerbs, pavements, crossing points, traffic islands and public highways
• Ensure overgrown hedgerows and vegetation encroaching onto public footpaths and roads are promptly cut back
• Publish a transparent maintenance schedule so residents know when grass cutting and grounds maintenance will take place in their area
• Review current ground maintenance standard and allocate sufficient resources to ensure public spaces are kept safe, accessible and presentable
• Create and publish a biodiversity management plan for council-owned grassed areas, identifying which locations are to be managed as wildflower or wildlife habitats, what planting will be undertaken, and how those areas will be managed
• Maintain clear, regularly cut margins around footpaths, roads, play areas and public amenities, even where reduced mowing or wildflower schemes are in operation 

We urge the council to take immediate action to restore acceptable maintenance standards and demonstrate its commitment to the communities it serves.