Grass cutting to resume to ensure safety and social distancing

Grass cutters will next week resume essential work to maintain Newcastle’s open spaces to ensure safety and public wellbeing.

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With Government guidance calling for everyone to stay at home wherever possible, some of Newcastle City Council’s community environmental services were suspended on March 24.

Now however, so that people who do have to go out can make their journeys safely, and social distance properly, essential grounds maintenance is to start again.

'Necessary to start again'

Cllr Nick Kemp, the council’s cabinet member for environment and regulatory services, said: “In the wake of the Government’s advice we temporarily stopped our grass cutting service, but now it is necessary to start again where there is essential need.

“To ensure the safety of our amazing key workers, and residents who are venturing out for essential reasons it is important that we keep sight lines clear around roads, paths and junctions.

“And in areas that people are using for their daily exercise we need to allow as much space as we can, so that effective social distancing can be observed.”

How will the work be carried out?

This essential work will be carried out by council staff who will be adhering to social distancing guidelines, which say you should stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times.

Areas to be cut will include verges, parks and local estates, as we are asking people as far as possible to stay in their local neighbourhoods.

Stay at home this Easter

Ahead of the Easter weekend residents are being reminded of Government guidelines to stay at home.

You should only leave the house for very limited purposes:

shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, and this must be as infrequently as possible
one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household – close to where you live
any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home