§ VISCOUNT THURSOasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the annual cost of cutting grass on the verges and central reservations of:
and what useful purpose this operation is claimed to serve.
- (a) Motorways and trunk roads; and
- (b) Classified roads;
§ LORD SANDFORDI regret that the information about costs is not readily available, and to obtain it would be disproportionately expensive. The Department of the Environment's policy is to treat verges and central reservations in such a way as to ensure that, as far as possible, highways blend into the surrounding countryside; but there are circumstances in which grasscutting improves the landscaping of the road or is necessary for a specific purpose. It may be needed to preserve visibility (an important element in road safety); to maintain the full road width where banks are steep; to provide a reasonable surface for pedestrians where no footpath is constructed, or to assist drainage.