Council Policy on verge cutting & Hedge/Ditch maintenance on Public Roads

I regularly walk around Maryborough Hill/Moneygourney/Clarkes Hill (trying to keep fit) I notice many overgrown hedges /ditches and generally these are a nuisance to pedestrians and impinge on footpaths and roadways.  I thought I would set out the council’s policy having asked the Area Eng. to particularly examine this section today.

The level of verge maintenance varies depending on the classification and location of any section of road. Generally, on Non National Roads, in rural areas, given the constraints on road maintenance funding, cutting of verges has a low priority relative to other road maintenance operations such as patching & drainage.  In the case of any trimming works, priority is given to sightlines at junctions or obstructions to road signs.  It is also on occasions necessary to carry out some cutting back of overhanging trees, to facilitiate lorries tipping materials during road pavement overlay works, where these trees would not present a hazard to normal traffic.

The Local Authority has powers to serve notices on landowners where a tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation is a hazard or potential hazard to persons using a public road or where it obstructs or interferes with the safe use of a public road, requiring the owner /occupier to take actions to remove the hazard.

The Council is not in a position, due to resource constraints, to patrol all roadside hedges and issue Notices on a systematic basis, nevertheless Notices are regularly issued and in particular when a specific problem is brought to the attention of staff.  The Roads Directorate will follow up assiduously in any cases of non compliance with such Notices