A Bucks coach company has hit out at council chiefs after forking out thousands of pounds to fix wing mirrors damaged by overgrown shrubs and grass verges.
Olivia Bell, from Lane End-based Countrywide Coaches, told the Bucks Free Press the company has had to pay £6,000 in total for three wing mirror arms that have been damaged in the past month on various Bucks roads – amid increasing fears overgrown verges are becoming a danger for drivers and passengers.
She told the Bucks Free Press: “Our coach drivers have to drive in the middle of the road to avoid hidden branches in overgrown hedgerow and overgrown trees.
“The coaches are sometimes carrying 50-70 children at a time, and it isn’t safe.
“The signs that tell drivers there is a bend coming up are completely covered by long grass. Someone’s going to get really injured. It’s crazy.
“I’ve reported it on fixmystreet.com well over a month ago but nothing has been done about it.
“It's enough now.”
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Hot weather, closely followed by heavy rain, has meant grass on the verges across the county has sprung up quickly – making driving at junctions and on narrow country roads particularly dangerous.
Last week, the BFP heard from driver Louise Patten, who off London Road in Loudwater, in Riverswood Gardens, who said residents pulling out onto the busy A40 are unable to see properly because the “dangerous” high grass and weeds are reaching up to the tree branches.
She too said she had complained to the council about the problem every year for seven years, adding: “I’ve reported it since May 26 to the council who have just completely ignored me. I have made three phone calls and still nothing has been done.”
Buckinghamshire Council said it is “conscious” of this year’s “sudden growth” and wants to reassure people that the planned grass cutting programme is ahead of time this year.
The council added that it has been working with the Bucks and Milton Keynes Natural Environment Partnership to trial a new ‘Wilder Road Verges’ project, where it is “changing our approach to verge management at carefully selected pilot sites”.
A spokesman said: “At these locations, which have been chosen so safety isn’t compromised, we have been letting the grass and wild flowers grow longer, which provides a source of nectar for butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects.
“These sites will be cut less regularly to also encourage more fine grass and wildflowers to grow.”
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Cllr Steve Broadbent, cabinet member for transport, added: “We are well aware of the length of the grass verges across the county and I want to assure residents we are onto it and have started the verge-cutting programme ahead of time.
“We prioritise road junctions where long grass and hedgerows can impact visibility and I know this has been a recent concern for many people, but please be assured we are working on it.
“I also know that many residents want us to manage this in a balanced way and protect verges for wildlife in places where it’s safe for the grass to grow longer, so I’m really pleased that we have started to trial a different way of managing verges in some parts of the county letting the grass and wildflowers grow longer without cutting them back as often.”
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