Council cuts back on mowing grass in parks - then tells stunned resident to get strimming

Janne Shread was outraged when the letter dropped through the door and said: “I couldn’t believe the bare-faced cheek of it"

Cut it out: People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, said Janne

A council which is cutting back on mowing the grass in its parks and public areas has stunned a resident - by ordering her to do a spot of strimming.
Janne Shread received a letter from Kirklees Council, which is scaling back its cutting programme.
She has been ordered to tackle her overgrown front garden, reports the Huddersfield Examiner.

As controversy rages over unkempt parks and roadside verges, Janne and partner Paul Smith, who live in a privately-owned house on the council’s London Park Estate in Mirfield, were shocked to receive the warning letter.
It said owner-occupiers as well as tenants had a duty to keep their gardens neat and tidy and added: “Maintaining your gardens helps not only to improve the appearance of your home but also of the estate in general.

“If you fail to maintain your garden further action could be taken against you.”
Administrator Janne, 43, was outraged when the letter dropped through the door and said: “I couldn’t believe the bare-faced cheek of it.
“Kirklees should get its own house in order before telling me off about my grass. What about theirs?”
The letter came from the council’s housing management company Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) after an estate inspection.
Janne believes neighbours have had letters too.

The letter warns tenants they are in breach of their tenancy agreement if they have overgrown gardens but says private owners also have a clause in their deeds which requires their garden to be “cultivated and free from weeds.”
Engineer Paul, 45, has owned the house for about 25 years and in recent months the couple have set about improving it, as and when money allowed.
They have stripped out overgrown Leylandii trees at the back and installed new fencing.
The couple have two large bags of building materials in their driveway as the front of the house is being block paved