Anger over lack of Newmarket grass cutting

Disgruntled Newmarket Town councillors, frustrated by overgrown grass verges, and weeds, across the town have formed their own group in a bid to try and get some action to improve the situation.

At a meeting on Monday, Cllr Lisa Crissall called on the authority to ditch West Suffolk Council’s service and take back control of keeping the town tidy.

Residents throughout the town have been complaining that parts of it are now jungle-like.

In April the district authority stopped using the weed killer Glyphosate to help protect wildlife and the environment, a move it claimed would cost it £20,000 because alternatives were more expensive.

But since then the lack of mowing in parts of the town has seen some areas become more like crop fields than pleasant grassed areas.

In St Mary’s Square and Exning Road, bulb beds planted by the town council have been choked by long grass with the emerging flowers barely visible, and residents of some of the town’s estates have contacted the Journal to express their anger.

One resident of Windsor Road said: “It’s disgraceful. An army of pensioners could do a better job that the council’s grass cutters. Perhaps it’s time to invest in a goat to keep the grass down.”

Town and district councillor Sue Perry called on the town council to form its own working group to try to get something done, while town mayor Cllr Philippa Winter said: “As far as the district council is concerned, it’s the same story every year. They claim they don’t have enough staff but they never try to employ people early enough.”

Deputy mayor Cllr John Harvey added: “There seems to be an ongoing acceptance of poor performance by officers at West Suffolk”.

Earlier this year the town council agreed not to award the whole contract for the maintenance of public areas of the town, which amounts to more than £100,000, to West Suffolk Council (WSC) but to give a sizeable proportion of the work to Jockey Club Estates (JCE).

“There have been on-going issues with some of the general maintenance areas with WSC historically,” said town clerk Cathy Whitaker in her report. “JCE is local and reponsive and has been carrying bespoke work out for Newmarket Town Council over the past two years to a good standard”.

West Suffolk Council retained responsibility for the town’s cemetery, three churchyards and seasonal planting, while JCE took over The Severals, the memorial hall gardens, flower beds in Fred Archer Way and at the clock tower and the area around the Queen’s statue.

The town council is not charged for maintenance of verges and other areas owned by West Suffolk Council.