A “LUDICROUS” decision to reduce grass-cutting from seven to three times a year has been slammed by

a county councillor.

The Hereford Times reported last week on how the change will save Herefordshire Council £1.25 million a year.

Peter McCaull is one of many to criticise the move and questioned the timing of the decision.

The Leominster councillor this week asked: “If they wanted to do this time last year? Doing it after March 7 when the full council budget was approved – which included seven cuts a year – and then to be going to Balfour Beatty and negotiating to reduce to three cuts. He claimed the long grass is preventing community

groups using outdoor sports equipment in the Sydonia play area that was donated by Cadbury’s.

“I think it’s absolutely disgusting, ” Cllr McCaull added. “I think they should immediately give people a rebate because they are paying for a service they are not getting.”

In Hereford, some councillors have taken matters into their own hands.

Councillor Phil Edwards has been mowing grass in his Belmont ward for several months.

“I’m appalled that Herefordshire Council hasn’t found a way of maintaining this basic service provision,”

he said.

“I am one of those councillors that’s taking grass-cutting into my own hands and have been doing so for

some months so we could carry on with our community games event on Bank Holiday Monday.

“We all have to accept that less funding is coming in from central government but it’s how that funding

is managed and currently Herefordshire Council is not managing very well with that reduced sum.”

Jim Kenyon is another Herefordshire councillor who has been helping his ward to manage the situation.

He said he is “unsurprised” that local residents – who are very proud of what they have achieved and of the area they live in – have risen to the challenge of helping to keep the community looking

good.