Staff sickness blamed for council-managed land becoming overgrown and ‘unusable’

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

Staff sickness has been blamed for council-owned land becoming overgrown, with one park at a restored coal tip claimed to be virtually “unusable”.

A decision has been taken this week by Carmarthenshire Council to reduce mowing frequency on its  grassland to encourage flowering plants and pollinators, but the new policy won’t be implemented straight away and is separate to the current staff sickness matter.

It has been a frustrating few weeks for users of Glanaman’s Gelliwerdd park – known locally as The Tip due to its coal mining past. It’s a large open space with trails and a BMX area which dog owner Fran Grifffin claimed two weeks ago was in “truly terrible state”.

‘Unusable’

She said: “All the trails are overgrown, the BMX play area is impossible with parents complaining the children have nowhere to play after school. Beyond the main cycle path that runs through it, the entire park is unusable.”

Mrs Griffin said in previous years it was “lovely” and that she would come across tourists having a stroll and enjoying the views across the Amman Valley. “Now nobody goes up there,” she said.

Mrs Griffin said she had reported it to the council and her ward councillor Emyr Rees. Since then, a tractor has mowed a section of the park by a playground, and also the BMX area, but Mrs Griffin claimed that around three-quarters of the walking trails hadn’t been cut back. She said one of her friends had unwittingly planted her foot in a hole in one of them.

Netta Thomas, of Garnant, also felt the trails were overgrown. “I was speaking to a councillor last week and he said it was a problem throughout Carmarthenshire,” she said.

The council said Gelliwerdd park was normally cut three times a year and that a cut did take place on July 23, with another scheduled for August 15. A spokesman said there had been a delay due to staff illness “which has put back the timeframe for the whole of our estates function”.

Complaints

Cllr Rees said he began getting complaints about the park at the end of May and that he reported it twice to the council. He acknowledged the recent mowing work but said he would follow up ongoing concerns about some of the trails.

Meanwhile, the council’s cabinet decided on July 29 to implement a new grass-cutting regime to allow plants to sink deeper roots, flower and encourage pollinators.

The current policy is to cut “amenity grassland” between March and November, leaving most cuttings on the ground. There are 37 sites where mowing takes place every six weeks or twice a year, and the plan is to double this at least by the end of the year.

Looking further ahead, the council will increase its pollinator-friendly management of grassland but continue mowing sports pitches and the edges of paths as normal. Paths will also be created within new meadow and plant-rich areas.

Speaking at the cabinet meeting, Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen said the report laid out the advantages for residents and nature of less frequent mowing, and that there had been successful trials of this approach. He said the report also emphasised “the need to engage with our communities” about it.