Green councillors have raised concerns that overgrown grass verges could embarrass Norwich when the Olympic Torch comes to the city.
Fears that uncut grass verges could embarrass Norwich when the Olympic torch comes to the city
Dan Grimmer
Thursday, June 21, 2012
6:30 AM
The state of Norwich’s grass verges could be an embarrassment to the city when the Olympic Torch passes through next month, councillors have warned.
As part of its efforts to save cash. Norwich City Council has slashed the number of times grass verges are cut from once every two weeks to five times a year.
That has saved £40,000, but Green city councillors say some verges have hardly been cut all year.
They fear it could be embarrassing if they remain uncut when the eyes of the country turn to Norwich when the Olympic Torch comes to the city on Wednesday, July 4.
But leaders at the Labour-run council have insisted they are confident the city will be presented in its best light when the torch does arrive.
The issue was raised at this week’s city council meeting by Stephen Little, Green councillor for Town Close ward.
He said: “Residents and visitors have noted that the management of many verges and other grassed areas around the city has this year not been of the standard they would expect.
“Grassed areas have just been left to grow long and have neither been cut nor properly managed as wildflower areas.
“This has affected the overall appearance of the city and could be said to be a cause of some potential embarrassment, for instance, ahead of the Olympic Torch coming to Norwich.
“Can the council demonstrate that it will ensure that the contractors fulfil their obligations and adhere to the agreed cutting and management regime?”
Keith Driver, cabinet member for environment and neighbourhoods said where verges are planted with crocuses the grass is normally cut at the end of May and where they include daffodils they will be cut at the end of June, just as in previous years.
He added that, as far as the rest of the verges go, the savings programme meant they had been cut once this year with the second cut due at the end of June.
He said: “The council is fully aware of the Olympic Torch coming to Norwich and I am satisfied that both the council and our contractor will make sure that the city is presented in its best light.”
• Don’t miss the Evening News next Wednesday for our London Calling Olympics preview supplement.
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27 comments
Hissing Sid....you don't get it old bean. The shed load of cash we've all paid, ain't in short supply ....5 million bucks have been handed over to Biffa for one year grass cutting. The saving of the alleged 40k seems just another smoke and mirror con by nuLabour and the crony company they employ....as for cutting my own lawn...Mrs nrg does a wonderful job, stripes the lot!!!
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nrg
Saturday, June 23, 2012
and yeah......I pay shed loads of tax too!!! You are not the only one, but you seem to think you are.......Poor thing...
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Sidney
Friday, June 22, 2012
NRG ...Get off your A**e and cut your own grass as already mentioned. You are a self opinionated ***t ...Monies are tight as we know so how about going that little bit further!!!!! Mmmmmm guess not.
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Sidney
Friday, June 22, 2012
Very well put nrg.... council can chase and fuss about over some flame but cannot do the basics to maintain services that we pay for..... all about priorities......
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Mr T
Friday, June 22, 2012
Teddylegless or is it clueless, I pay shed loads of council tax for a man from Biffa to cut our fine city verges After a hard days graft earning said corn - why should working folk take to the streets, doing the job we've already paid Norwich City Council and their useless contractor to do???...5 million bucks, simples...even for the hard of thinking and clueless bods!!!!!
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nrg
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Hear hear teddy legless, I agree, finally a sensible, worthwhile comment.
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Bruce87
Thursday, June 21, 2012
It is worth noting that Reepham, Hethersett and virtually all of the other 'country back roads' and dangerous turnings are nothing to do with Norwich City Council (the clue is in the word city), so maybe have a word with broadlandsouth norfolk etc. And if people are so 'horrified' by the state of the verges outside their properties, there is absolutely no reason why they cant go and cut it themselves, rather than relying on a council that is already stretched to the limit. The olympic torch ceeremony , while not everyones cup of tea, will actually do a lot of good for the city, bringing in revenue on the daynight and into the future from tourism, providing a community event that really is all-inclusive, and also encouraging many of us to either take up a new sport, or encourage others who wish to. Shame moaning isnt an olympic sport, some of you lot would be world-beaters!!
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Teddylegless
Thursday, June 21, 2012
No good moaning, this City had a parks and gardens department to be proud of, now we are left with contractors who,s sole aim is profit. The City is a mess, but A L M, county roads are not Norwich Councils problem.
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Rorping
Thursday, June 21, 2012
More embarrassing if they go down Magdalen street, They should ban the Coco cola lorry that escorts it
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billytheolympicbookie
Thursday, June 21, 2012
NCC are paying £5m contract to Biffa for one year to carry out maintenance to the grass verges and parks, we also spent £484,560 buying equipment, including grass cutters, tractors and lawn mowers for the chaps to do the work. nuLabour isn't working...simples.
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nrg
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Tin hat time !. What is more important, human life or a wild flower !
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Paul Kersey
Thursday, June 21, 2012
When the verges do get cut lets hope that all the litter gets picked up first so we are not left with hundreds of pieces of litter on the ground. Far more unsightly than long grass
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norfolkandgood
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Posting a sensible comment on the EDP is becoming well nigh impossible. One wonders if the mods use a form of word recognition which cannot cope with anything remotely out of the ordinary and so rejects a sensible comment about the proliferation of assorted wild flora ( which does not have to be planted or managed) and how even apparently tatty nettles and cowparsley and grass seeds are valuable for wild life.
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Daisy Roots
Thursday, June 21, 2012
ALM you sure the accidents on the Reepham road are not down to move ins who don't know how to drive on rural roads-ie having a good look and a listen with the window down before they pull out of a junction that does not have a long sight line? Or who don't think to use horns on blind corners on narrow roads?
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Daisy Roots
Thursday, June 21, 2012
If the verges are to be cut, perhaps something could be done about the Heartsease roundabout ? Now that IS an embarassment.
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Paul Kersey
Thursday, June 21, 2012
The comments on this page are more embarrassing. Makes Norfolk people look like a moaning bunch of yokels.
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Peter Griffin
Thursday, June 21, 2012
I too am particularly scared by this. It’s a good job the local councillors have taken this issue to task over the many much more minor issues affecting the city. With regards to Olympic issues I’d be more concerned with the torch bearer disappearing down a pot hole or treading through those kindly presented deposits from our canine friends, not to mention the numerous graffiti tags at just about every vantage point. Dan, this is great work and fantastic reporting. This could be that big story you’ve been waiting for.
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Annoyed
Thursday, June 21, 2012
NCC cllr.s always concerned with the state of our roads being fit for car use, are seemingly not that concerned. Junctions and bends should be cut, walking is becoming a dangerous affair. The olympic torch is far too small to burn off all that grass.
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ingo wagenknecht
Thursday, June 21, 2012
How can we possibly afford to cut the grass verges ?. We have more important things to spend money on such as the Olympics, the war in Afghanistan, investing in tobacco companies, Police commisioners etc etc
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Paul Kersey
Thursday, June 21, 2012
As a country dweller, I agree with the comments by A L M, MrT and KeithS. Many of my local road junctions are now becoming very dangerous as visibility is obscured. There is no question that this will lead to more accidents and injuries if this is the new maintenance trend.
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Trevor Ashwin
Thursday, June 21, 2012
This is the most hilariously irrelevant story since a duff ten quid note was discovered in Cromer. If the verges should be cut they should be cut and I can assure you the massed audiences on planet Earth (well there must be someone watching this silly torch and it's not me) wont be sitting on their sofas hissing and tutting at the verges of Norwich.
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alecto
Thursday, June 21, 2012
We have had 5 accidents on a half mile stretch of the Reepham Road in the last week, due to uncut grass verges now, do we have to have a fatality before the verges are cut? They used to be cut regular, please cut these verges on main roads first before you worry about the city verges.
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A L M
Thursday, June 21, 2012
How about getting grass verges cut throughout the county so that motorist can pull out of side roads with clear vision? These are a danger, the Olypic torch is just ornamental and is hardly to cause any fatal accidents, get the priorities right please.
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Mr T
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Don't worry about the olympic torch, the height of the grass on some roadside verges is getting dangerous as it's making viewing oncoming traffic round corners and when pulling out of junctions harder. How much is a life worth?
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KeithS
Thursday, June 21, 2012
This obsession with keeping grass neatly cut is quite ridiculous, its dead space and is about as enviromentally friendly as concrete. Norwich should follw the examples set by some of the other large cities in the UK and allow them to go wild which will provide habitats for wldlife.
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Crazy
Thursday, June 21, 2012
How ridiculous to even suggest that a city could be embarrassed - this is a human emotion therefore cannot apply to a city! The councillors may be embarrassed and rightly so as it is their job to ensure that this fine city is maintained -
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IT Man
Thursday, June 21, 2012
The hysteria associated with the Olympics and its torch is a far greater embarrassment than uncut verges ever could be.
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Carborundum
Thursday, June 21, 2012