The lack of grass cutting in and around west Lancashire is an accident waiting to happen...

QLocal reporter Roger Blaxall’s been taking pictures over the last few weeks of the verges near the junctions off the A59 near Moss Delph Lane and Turnpike Road - two of many in the borough where grass is growing out of control.









Concerned Aughton parish councillors discussed the issue at their June meeting and Blaxall is now trying to establish if the County Council is responsible for ALL grass cutting, or if it allows the borough council to do it at key points in the borough – the gateway at Bickerstaffe near the M58 junction was cut recently and looks a lot smarter...

And yesterday this letter flooded into our news desk from Ormskirk's Lol Critchley, who wrote: ‘The grass on the verges/ junctions/roundabouts has not been cut on the A59 West Lancashire since the winter.

‘What we are left with now are a number of potential traffic hazards that have been created by what I can only assume is a cost cutting measure and which also gives visitors to the district a very negative opinion in terms of visual appearance.

‘That is of course is not the case with the pristine roundabout on the A59/Ormskirk Fire Station that only this week was planted up with summer bedding plants and always looks neat and tidy!





‘The new roundabout on the A59 Burscough into Ringtail Retail Park is a disgrace and a danger when joining it due to its location; you just can’t see traffic on the roundabout when attempting to join it.

‘The same problem existed last year and back then as now it seems that Lancashire County Council is slow to resolve the matter.

‘It seems the same problem regarding grass cutting on the A59 happens in Aughton as well, and I’d urge people to contact LCC highways and complain - t: 0300 123 6701, e: highways@lancashire.gov.uk





Meanwhile, anyone driving down the A59 to Preston will notice the pristine state of the verges maintained by South Ribble Borough Council; the fact that some of them are near Police HQ is purely co-incidental, isn’t it?