An updated roadside grass verge maintenance schedule will start next week, following budget approval from Oxford City Council last month.
Oxford City Council manages the majority of grass highways in Oxford, as part of a service on behalf of - and paid for - by Oxfordshire County Council. Grass verges in Oxford are then mown by ODS on behalf of the Councils.
In 2023, Oxfordshire County Council introduced a new verge maintenance policy, which resulted in grass verges in Oxford being cut once a year.
Now, following significant public feedback and budget approval in February 2025, Oxford City Council will be funding two additional cuts for the majority of verges across the city, alongside the single cut paid for by Oxfordshire County Council.
Roadside grass verges – cut three times a year
Roadside grass verges across Oxford will now be cut at least three times a year, with the first cut to take place no later than the end of April/early May. This year (2025), the first scheduled cut is expected to start the week of 24 March.
The exact timing of all three cuts will be subject to weather conditions and rainfall throughout the spring and summer - which can influence how fast grass grows. This approach will allow the Council to respond flexibly, rather than following a set schedule.
Grass cuttings will be left on verges after they have been cut.
The Council will also continue to continue to mow grass verges near junctions where visibility is required all year round. Residents can report their concerns about grass verges impacting visibility, on FixMyStreet.
Biodiversity verges – cut once a year
The exception to this will be nine dedicated biodiversity grass verges around the city. These nine biodiversity verges have been identified as biodiverse habitats, following an ecological assessment.
These biodiversity grass verges will only be mown once a year in September and the cuttings removed. This ‘cut and collect’ helps to suppress grass growth and create the ground conditions favoured by wildflowers, helping to support biodiversity.
The locations of these verges are:
- Abberbury Road Roundabout
- Abingdon Road (bottom of): Verges adjacent to Redbridge Paddock
- Church Cowley Road: The bank along the outside of Rose Hill Cemetery
- Eastern Bypass Central Reservation
- Grenoble Road: Verges along the open field side of this road, from the roundabout junction with Guelder Road down to the roundabout junction with Watlington Road
- Green Road: The verges along the Risinghurst side of the Green Road adjacent to the Eastern Bypass up to the Risinghurst Turn
- Marston Ferry Road: The verges along the western side of the road, from the junction with Cherwell Drive up to the River Cherwell
- Oxford Road, New Marston: The central reservation from the junction with Rippington Drive to the junction with Cherwell Drive
- Sunderland Avenue: The verges along both sides of this road
Communal gardens and parks
Grass in parks/green spaces, and communal gardens are cut on a separate schedule to grass verges.
Grass in parks and green spaces are cut eight times a year, along with additional litter picking at peak times. Football and playing pitches in parks are maintained as short grass for sports matches during the football season from August until the end of May.
Communal gardens in Council homes will be cut fortnightly between March and October – subject to weather conditions.
Supporting biodiversity
In addition to dedicated biodiversity verges, the Council has several initiatives to support biodiversity across Oxford, including:
- Dead wood habitats in parks and green spaces
- Long grass in selected areas/on the edges of parks and nature areas
- Annual tree planting across the city
- Supporting community orchard planting
You can read more about the Council's grass cutting schedule and approach on the grass verges webpage.
"This new grass verge approach follows significant public feedback from residents across Oxford, while also taking into consideration the need for different habitats for biodiversity. As always we will be continuing to maintain verges near junctions, and any concerns can be reported to us on FixMyStreet.”
Councillor Chewe Munkonge, Cabinet Member for a Healthy Oxford
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