By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
There are serious concerns over the risk of fires and Lyme-disease-inducing tick bites after a “year of neglect” in grass cutting across parts of the county.
Residents in the Mitton and wider Tewkesbury area are demanding that crews are deployed immediately to address what they see as severe public safety and health hazards caused by overgrown land.
County Councillor Vernon Smith (R, Tewkesbury West) and Tewkesbury Borough Councillor Graham Bocking (R, Northway) have issued a joint open letter to Gloucestershire County Council chiefs demanding immediate action after a “year of neglect”.
The open letter, addressed directly to Chief Executive Jo Walker and Liberal Democrat Council Leader Lisa Spivey (South Cerney), calls for an end to administrative delay and demands that cutting crews be deployed immediately to address.
In it they say “the current situation has deteriorated past the point of minor administrative inconvenience. It is now a glaring public hazard and an unacceptable insult to local residents”.
They fear long, dry, unchecked vegetation running directly along residential property boundaries and wooden fencing has become an elevated Fire Hazard.
And the inability to inspect ground conditions in residential green spaces may conceal sharp objects, holes, and uneven terrain posing a public safety risk.
They are also concerned of the public health risks it poses as the long grass can be a habitat for disease vectors, specifically ticks elevating the risk of Lyme disease for local residents and pets.
Cllr Smith, who leads the Reform UK group at Shire Hall, has been campaigning on the issue for over a year.
“Residents in Mitton and Tewkesbury pay their council tax expecting basic public services to be delivered,” he said.
“For a full year, they have watched public land outside their doors deteriorate into an overgrown safety hazard while councils pass responsibility back and forth.
“We have exhausted every internal channel, submitted formal motions, and written to highways officers. It is time for leadership to stop making excuses and get the grass cut.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Bocking says the issue of long grass is no longer a minor visual inconvenience but a a genuine safety issue for families, children, and property owners.
“The community cannot be expected to go through another season or endure a full winter in these conditions,” he said.
“We require a firm commitment and an immediate operational deployment from Gloucestershire County Council.”
Their letter demands immediate contractor mobilization, a clear public timetable for all remaining uncut areas, and a long-term, accountable maintenance framework to prevent annual failures in service delivery.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Mark Harris (Cirencester North with Ermin), who is responsible for highways at Shire Hall, said residents rightly want to see their local areas looking well cared for and maintained.
“We understand the frustration where grass cutting has not yet taken place,” he said.
“Safety is, and always will be, our priority. That’s why, before undertaking any other work, we first ensure visibility is maintained at road junctions, bends, and other key locations.
“With this first round of safety work now completed, our countywide grass-cutting programme is well underway, and the Tewkesbury area is scheduled to be cut within the next two weeks.
“We will continue to work hard with local councils and communities in Tewkesbury to understand their priorities and concerns and explore opportunities to address them where possible.”