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05/08/21 Service update: Please note that we’re running behind on our grass cutting schedule in some areas of the borough due to unavoidable staff shortages –a combination of illness and self-isolation compounded by regular annual leave during the summer months. The wet weather conditions this summer have provided ideal conditions for the grass to grow so we know we’ve got a lot to do! Please bear with us while we catch up as quickly as we can.

Read more about our approach to grass cutting in the borough and what you can expect to see.

Grass cutting on council-owned and common land

Our Greenspaces team work extremely hard all year round to keep our borough’s parks and open spaces clean and attractive places to enjoy. Grass cutting season usually takes place between March-October each year. Each cutting cycle takes about five weeks and the teams continually cut until the end of the grass growing season. Wet weather and unforeseen circumstances, such as staff shortages can impact the service and delay things. The grass cutting schedule below details approximately how long it takes to mow each area of the borough.

This year some grass areas of council-owned land has been left to grow a little longer over the summer to form natural wild meadows. As well as being attractive to look at, these are great for the environment and help wildlife to thrive. These areas of land will be cut in the late summer to prevent the growth of any scrubs and dominant vegetation.

We have also relaxed the grass cutting schedule on selected areas of designated common land and all countryside areas are already being retained for the benefit of biodiversity. See below for a full list of areas where this is taking place:

Parks

• Brook Road – behind houses on left hand side
• Radstock Way – top half
• Tattenham Recreation Ground – around pond area
• Lonesome Lane fields
• New pond – bottom end of field
• Castle Ground banks
• Priory Park - some areas 
• Wray Common (windmill side) Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI)

Countryside

• Petridgewood Common SNCI
• Tanyard Meadows - all countryside areas
• Chipstead Downs part Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Local Nature Reserve (LNR)
• New Pond Farm SNCI
• Small section of White Bushes Common SNCI
• Merstham Bund
• Nork Park (Part SNCI)
• Holly Lane
• Banstead Wildlife area – whole area
• Reigate Heath – everything apart from the cottage bank roadside SSSI, LNR
• Earlswood Common LNR, SNCI – selected areas will be cut for the enhancement of priority wildlife, more information can be found here.
• Earlswood Lakes -some areas
• Redhill Common – plateaux two cuts per year 

Banstead Common Conservators managed land

• Banstead Heath:  92 hectares
• Park Downs SSSI:  13.4 hectares
• Banstead Downs SSSI: 21.1  hectares + 38.5  hectares (golf course)
• Burgh Heath: 3.2 hectares

Common grass areas

• Pendleton Road - sightline areas cut only
• The Ring-Plough pub - three cuts a year
• Whitepost Hill-Elm Road - three cuts a year
• Pebble Hill-Dorking Road + pub - three cuts a year
• Sandpit Lawns
• Dovers Green-Castle Drive - sightlines only
• Maple Way, common land areas only - three cuts a year
• Skimmington Castle
• Riverside Garden Park
• Epsom Lane North

Grass cutting around highways

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s Greenspaces team is contracted by Surrey County Council to carry out four urban grass cuts and two rural grass cuts in a year on highway verges. In addition roadside verges continue to be cut to prevent any sightline and highway safety issues such as road users not being able to see oncoming traffic and cyclists being obstructed or struck by overgrown vegetation. Where selected areas of larger highway grass verges have been left to be cut in the late summer, a 1m strip next to the highway required as a minimum by Surrey County Council, will continue to be cut throughout the year.

Highway verges managed for biodiversity

• Langshott/Smallfield Road (grass area behind path edge)
• Bone Hurst Road (wildflower section)
• Woodhatch Green (section opposite Reigate School)
• London Road North central reservation
• Holly Lane central reservation
• Fir Tree Road (large areas)
• Rose Bushes (large green behind path edge)
• Shelvers Green
• A217 central reservations
• Reigate Road grass bank area, junction of Nork Way

Report it to us  

You can report things to our greenspaces team using the forms below:

• Grass cutting and highway verges
• Trees on the highway are the responsibility of Surrey County Council so please report that to them.
• Trees in parks, overhanging vegetation

If the highways matter you want to report is an emergency or you think is dangerous, call Surrey County Council’s Contact Centre on 0300 200 1003. Potholes are also the responsibility of  Surrey County Council and can be reported using the potholes online form.