Grass cutting and maintenance

The council has a team that looks after grassed areas across the city. We also maintain some areas on behalf of Newcastle Homes and Open Spaces.

Our grass cutting schedule

In Newcastle, our approach is:

• most grass in residential areas is cut 8 times during the season
• formal sports pitches are cut 12 times each year
• some steep or sloped areas are not cut
• areas with spring bulbs are not cut until 8 weeks after the flowers have finished blooming

The season is usually between March and October, or April and November, depending on the weather.

We do not collect grass cuttings. This means grass may look longer after cutting. We aim to keep pavements as clear as possible.

Supporting nature and biodiversity

We are committed to protecting wildlife and habitats in Newcastle.

In some areas, we cut grass less often to support nature. We are also reducing the use of weed killer where we can.

No Mow May

We take part in No Mow May in our Newcastle Parks Service sites. We do not cut wildflower verges during No Mow May.

We are reviewing grass cutting across the city to find more areas where we can cut less and support biodiversity. We will share updates as these areas are identified.

Wildflower areas

We have been testing wildflower verges across the city for several years.

These areas are cut less often to help plants and wildlife grow. We have bought a specialist vehicle to manage these areas and support this work.

Benefits of wildflower areas

1. More wildlife - fewer cuts and removed grass cuttings helps improve the soil. This allows wildflowers to grow, which attracts insects, birds and other wildlife
2. Lower costs and emissions - verges are cut around 3 times a year. This saves money and reduces pollution from mowing
3. Improved safety - less mowing means fewer staff working near busy or high-speed roads.

Bulb Planting

During 2023 to 2024 we planted 104,000 flower bulbs across all wards. We continue to plant bulbs every year.