Oakham and Rutland Local News

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Sunday, August 04, 2019

Rutland County Councils Highways Officer Destroying The Visual Beauty Of Our Counties Gardens

Many Rutland Residents have received threatening letters from the new highways officer employed by Rutland County Council.

The Highways officer has driven around most of Rutland looking at private gardens and writing to the occupier demanding they cut there hedge or other plants that over hang the footpaths.

The highways officer is quoting a law introduced in the 1980's to give councils powers to deal with
people who let hedges and trees etc get into a dangerous state and refuse to cut them back.

I assume he is now going to attempt to enforce the leylandii hedge law of 2014 without receiving any complaints?

The highways officer sent me a letter and a photograph in the middle of July demanding I cut a small hedge shrubs that were growing less than 30cm over the footpath. I managed to find time to cut the hedge and shrubs back of course ignoring the council own advice which is published on there website.

Timing of maintenance work

Landowners and farmers are recommended to undertake trimming in January and February and not to cut back hedges from 1 April to 31 July. This is to cut the chance of disturbing breeding birds and destroying nests; allow most plants to finish flowering and seeding; allow nuts and berries to be available to wildlife for as long as possible in winter, and to reduce congestion and delays, as there will probably be less traffic on the roads.


The highways officer has destroy the look and character of many of our villages and both towns
Demanding Lavender overhanging walls is removed, One lavender bush which did look attractive and a source of food for hundred of bees has been tied up using ugly straps. As the resident fights
to save the bush, This featured on Rutland Radio News this week.

One older resident in their 80s was forced to remove weeds that were not even on his property
something which I find quite disgusting.
The below shows what remains of one of the giant weeds the resident attempted to remove from
Rutland County Councils path.





















It is a shame Rutland County Council Highways Officer has made our county look ugly.
He could help improve this by helping Rutland County Council to get its own jobs done.
All the weeds along most kerbs and Hedges along the long footpath through the David Wilson
Estate are a fine example of the Councils neglect.

And there are far too many blocked drains...