Pembrokeshire County Council Policy for the Management of Roadside Verges

Verge mowing is carried out in two cycles.

The first cycle is intended to cut the growth from the road edge only, this being for reasons of safety (visibility). Generally the cut is restricted to one swathe width in order to minimise the effect on wild flowers.

It is also, for this reason, that the first cycle does not commence until the first Monday of June, when most of the Spring flowers will have gone over.

Prioritisation

The order of cutting is generally as follows:-

Class 1 and Class 2 Roads followed by Class 3 and unclassified roads but schedules have been prepared for each of the operational areas which provide the exact order in which roads should be cut.

The safety cutting on all classified roads should be completed by the third week of July when the schools break up for their summer holidays and traffic volumes reach their peak.

The second cycle of cutting starts as soon as the first has been completed and extends to the full width of the verges including cutting around back ditches.

The second cycle should be completed by mid October when the growth will be starting to die back, although should there be extreme variations in the prevailing weather conditions, then this may necessitate that the dates be brought forward or delayed by up to two weeks.

Standards relating to Roadside Nature Reserves

A number of roadside nature reserves have been identified by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. These are identified within the schedules and are marked on site by means of marker posts on the verges.

Operators are instructed not to cut these sections at all on the first cycle of cutting insofar as they contain rare plants, which should be allowed to seed.

Such areas are thereafter cut during the second cycle.