The cutting of grass verges along the highway has been inadequate over the last two years.  Poor timing has seen wild flowers cut down and the verges cut too infrequently to keep the grass under control.  Part of the problem has been poor management and part has been caused by leaving the cuttings on the ground to fertilise the soil and thus speed up the growth!  I have been serving on a Policy Development Panel looking into how to do this job better.  What’s clear is that the control over when the grass is cut has to be improved and that the cuttings need to be taken away.  The cuttings can be turned into briquettes for fuel or used in an anaerobic digester to create electricity and gas.  This will help DCC cover the cost of buying new equipment to pick up the cuttings.  Unfortunately it’s too late to change the contracts for this year but we’re running pilot schemes for the new process in the South Dorset AONB and in Shaftesbury which will report back in the autumn.

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