Local Facebook groups

[Flumpo]

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

I know people love to moan, but if you’re paying a maintenance fee and the grass is 8/10 inches long, I would say that’s taking the piss.

[paulguitar]

Flumpo said:

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

I know people love to moan, but if you’re paying a maintenance fee and the grass is 8/10 inches long, I would say that’s taking the piss.

£100 per year? My service charge is £2,400!

[boyse7en]

Flumpo said:

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

I know people love to moan, but if you’re paying a maintenance fee and the grass is 8/10 inches long, I would say that’s taking the piss.

Maybe they were taking part in "No Mow May"

[Flumpo]

paulguitar said:

Flumpo said:

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

I know people love to moan, but if you’re paying a maintenance fee and the grass is 8/10 inches long, I would say that’s taking the piss.

£100 per year? My service charge is £2,400!

Wow, just for grass? It must be lovely.

[119]

Dog-napping is on the rise again apparently..

Only even seems to happen in the summer though.

Edited by 119 on Monday 3rd June 11:50

[Flumpo]

boyse7en said:

Flumpo said:

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

I know people love to moan, but if you’re paying a maintenance fee and the grass is 8/10 inches long, I would say that’s taking the piss.

Maybe they were taking part in "No Mow May"

I’m broadly in support of no mow may, but I wouldn’t be surprised if accidents go up around mid May. There are a few junctions near me that you now can’t see out of. I imagine that’s similar in lots of other places.

Maybe I need an suv….

[Red9zero]

Flumpo said:

boyse7en said:

Flumpo said:

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

I know people love to moan, but if you’re paying a maintenance fee and the grass is 8/10 inches long, I would say that’s taking the piss.

Maybe they were taking part in "No Mow May"

I’m broadly in support of no mow may, but I wouldn’t be surprised if accidents go up around mid May. There are a few junctions near me that you now can’t see out of. I imagine that’s similar in lots of other places.

Maybe I need an suv….

It is horrendous by us now. We seem to have No Mow 2024, as the grass/weeds are now 2-3ft in places. They haven't even mowed in the childrens play areas. Apparently they are due to start mowing on Wednesday, but I'm not holding my breath. Last year it was July before they actually got round to it. The local parish council just bang on about the environment when anyone dares query their policy. Strange thing is, one of the local councillors has been out and cut all the verge outside her house in the last week

[Its Just Adz]

Some traffic lights near the m6 have the timings messed up so the traffic was backing up for a long way this morning, right through the village.
Understandably frustrating.
So far 6 different rants about it on the local page but nobody thought to report it to the local council.

[Spare tyre]

Red9zero said:

Flumpo said:

boyse7en said:

Flumpo said:

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

I know people love to moan, but if you’re paying a maintenance fee and the grass is 8/10 inches long, I would say that’s taking the piss.

Maybe they were taking part in "No Mow May"

I’m broadly in support of no mow may, but I wouldn’t be surprised if accidents go up around mid May. There are a few junctions near me that you now can’t see out of. I imagine that’s similar in lots of other places.

Maybe I need an suv….

It is horrendous by us now. We seem to have No Mow 2024, as the grass/weeds are now 2-3ft in places. They haven't even mowed in the childrens play areas. Apparently they are due to start mowing on Wednesday, but I'm not holding my breath. Last year it was July before they actually got round to it. The local parish council just bang on about the environment when anyone dares query their policy. Strange thing is, one of the local councillors has been out and cut all the verge outside her house in the last week

I walk my kids to school in the morning, we take a varied route through woodland, along streams, up small alley ways.

The alley ways are all now unpassable, it’s happened really quickly in the last week (was half term)

I live in the same village as a kid, all the routes were done daily on my bike from the age of about 5-18

The cutbacks (haha) really are noticeable, open play fields are now just brambles and essentially a waste of space (I appreciate the wildlife probably likes it), might as well build houses on it now as it was a usable space which it isn’t now

[paulguitar]

Flumpo said:

paulguitar said:

Flumpo said:

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

I know people love to moan, but if you’re paying a maintenance fee and the grass is 8/10 inches long, I would say that’s taking the piss.

£100 per year? My service charge is £2,400!

Wow, just for grass? It must be lovely.

It's not just for gardening, there is buildings insurance, some lighting and a 'sinking fund' for major works like windows (listed building).

It's a very annoying bill though, and has risen dramatically lately.

[Scabutz]

Flumpo said:

I’m broadly in support of no mow may, but I wouldn’t be surprised if accidents go up around mid May. There are a few junctions near me that you now can’t see out of. I imagine that’s similar in lots of other places.

Maybe I need an suv….

Our council have sort of thought about thus but made a bit of a hash. In many places they mowed the edge to maintain visibility and left a bit in the centre to grow.

But they've either missed or decided not to do the most important parts where there are junctions from estates pulling out on to NSL roads. Visibility has been reduce by about 40m as you can't see them in the distance.

[Red9zero]

Spare tyre said:

I walk my kids to school in the morning, we take a varied route through woodland, along streams, up small alley ways.

The alley ways are all now unpassable, it’s happened really quickly in the last week (was half term)

I live in the same village as a kid, all the routes were done daily on my bike from the age of about 5-18

The cutbacks (haha) really are noticeable, open play fields are now just brambles and essentially a waste of space (I appreciate the wildlife probably likes it), might as well build houses on it now as it was a usable space which it isn’t now

An alleyway near us is now getting overgrown and two places on the main road are so bad you have to step into the road to get past. If anyone complains they just get pounced on and told to think of the environment.

[Zetec-S]

Red9zero said:

An alleyway near us is now getting overgrown and two places on the main road are so bad you have to step into the road to get past. If anyone complains they just get pounced on and told to think of the environment.

Probably the same excuse used by tossers who plant a hedge 3 inches from the edge of their boundary and then just let it grow across half the pavement.

[Spare tyre]

Red9zero said:

Spare tyre said:

I walk my kids to school in the morning, we take a varied route through woodland, along streams, up small alley ways.

The alley ways are all now unpassable, it’s happened really quickly in the last week (was half term)

I live in the same village as a kid, all the routes were done daily on my bike from the age of about 5-18

The cutbacks (haha) really are noticeable, open play fields are now just brambles and essentially a waste of space (I appreciate the wildlife probably likes it), might as well build houses on it now as it was a usable space which it isn’t now

An alleyway near us is now getting overgrown and two places on the main road are so bad you have to step into the road to get past. If anyone complains they just get pounced on and told to think of the environment.

I have a little squirty bottle of weed killer I use to keep mine and my elderly neighbours drives in good order, I might start applying it by myself to the alley ways. The surprise to me was clearly the houses that back onto the alley ways don’t take matters into their own hands, but perhaps I’d want brambles there if it was me for security reasons

[Spare tyre]

These management fees, do the council planning dept have them as a condition to save themselves the extra work?

Or is it until x years / once stuff is handed over when all works complete?

Are the fees capped or can they demand more and more each year. What happens if you don’t pay, CCJ?

[Red9zero]

Spare tyre said:

Red9zero said:

Spare tyre said:

I walk my kids to school in the morning, we take a varied route through woodland, along streams, up small alley ways.

The alley ways are all now unpassable, it’s happened really quickly in the last week (was half term)

I live in the same village as a kid, all the routes were done daily on my bike from the age of about 5-18

The cutbacks (haha) really are noticeable, open play fields are now just brambles and essentially a waste of space (I appreciate the wildlife probably likes it), might as well build houses on it now as it was a usable space which it isn’t now

An alleyway near us is now getting overgrown and two places on the main road are so bad you have to step into the road to get past. If anyone complains they just get pounced on and told to think of the environment.

I have a little squirty bottle of weed killer I use to keep mine and my elderly neighbours drives in good order, I might start applying it by myself to the alley ways. The surprise to me was clearly the houses that back onto the alley ways don’t take matters into their own hands, but perhaps I’d want brambles there if it was me for security reasons

I do sometimes take my secateurs out when I'm dog walking when I know there are some branches that want cutting back. Although I did walk up to the bus shelter outside our house brandishing said secateurs, while staring at an errant branch without noticing there was someone sat in the bus shelter wondering wtf I was doing

[Flumpo]

Spare tyre said:

These management fees, do the council planning dept have them as a condition to save themselves the extra work?

No, the growth in management fees for public open space and bits of bundled up grass/green on new build estates is driven by the developers. They sell it to a private company and then put in a clause in the house title deeds that say the owner must contribute to the upkeep indefinitely.

The councils use to take on these areas for a one off payment when the houses estates where finished. But now the developer sells the land to a private company. The council has no control over this it’s a private transaction and all purchases of the houses are made aware. It’s up to them to buy the houses or not.

Or is it until x years / once stuff is handed over when all works complete?

Indefinitely.

Are the fees capped or can they demand more and more each year. What happens if you don’t pay, CCJ?

The fees are uncapped. Same consequences as not paying any bill you have agreed to the services of.

- can’t be bothered to format properly

[Scabutz]

Form an orderly queue

[Puzzles]

Zetec-S said:

We live on a new build estate so have a management company sort out all the landscaping/grass cutting, so that's the regular moan on ours as everyone seems to think that for our £100 per year they should be recreating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or similar. The reality is it's not too bad, but at this time of year the grass obviously grows pretty quickly, so at the moment some of the areas are probably about 8-10 inches high. Apparently it's not fair on the kiddies as they can't play outside in case they get ticks

They don’t cut the grass people moan, they cut the grass and people moan it’s damaging to the wildlife

[thetapeworm]

Scabutz said:

Form an orderly queue

We have that very person offering that on our local group