I FOUND it rather ironic that, the day a story was printed referencing council cost-cutting and grass verges, I saw none other than the council or their contractors planting roundabouts.

There is an online site called Streetlife and the conversations regarding grass-cutting have been a very popular subject.

It appears that there is massive support to get the verges cut.

As for the comments of the director for environment and economy rabbiting on about tight budgets, I commented on Streetlife that all those seeking benefit should be given these jobs whilst searching for employment.

They could be employed by the council to do such tasks as verge cutting and hedge cutting (so we can at least see road signs).

It was commented that the dreaded words health and safety reared their ugly head regarding my suggestion, but I am sure we all realise this is just an excuse because if that were the case would we be able to cut our own grass at home or would we need special training?

I also find the comments regarding budgets and limited resources rather difficult to swallow when as we speak I believe new council offices are under construction.

We have to ask ourselves if these will be left to fall into disrepair like The Garth when it was looked after by the council?

Why not send in the members of the Cherwell District Council green team to do the grass-cutting, or better still, as a long term investment, install artificial grass in the town and surrounding villages. Make the eco town and the garden city the first in the country to have grass-cutting-free zones.

How friendly that would be.

ANDY NUTT
Launton
Bicester