Tilling Green ‘jungle’ is cut back at long last

RESIDENTS of Rye’s Tilling Green estate have slammed East Sussex county Council for allowing the area to become overgrown.

There was an end to their misery this week when the county council finally sent a grass cutting team to the estate on Wednesday morning.

But fed-up residents say they have had to put up with the area looking like a wilderness for most of the summer.

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Resident Vic Vicarey, of Pottingfield Road, said: “It’s a disgrace. The grass and weed in some places is over a metre high.

“Everybody has been moaning about the eye-sore. This is supposed to be Cleanup 2012.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named, contacted the Observer to say: “It is like a jungle down here – it looks really bad.

The problem was made worse by the wettest June on record which saw grass and vegetation growing at a rapid rate.

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The highways teams usually cut verges in urban areas five times a year and those in rural areas twice but Tilling Green residents have seen no evidence of that.

One resident commented: “They don’t come that often.”

A county council spokesman said: “We’re making good progress with the second cut and the third, extra, cut will start in mid-September.

“Each cut covers 2,700km of grass verge and takes around 40 days to complete.

“Some people like to cut the grass near their home more often.

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“It is perfectly okay for people to do this, but people wishing to cut the grass on the verge, should be aware of the possible risk of injury to themselves, passing pedestrians and traffic.

“So please do take care and only cut the grass where it is safe to do so.”
To help keep grass and hedges under control, here are some do’s and don’ts for residents supplied by East Sussex County Council:

• Do not park on grass verges,

• Do not place decorative stones or logs on verges as these can be dangerous,

• Do maintain your own hedges safely and responsibly.