GRASS cutting services have resumed across Torfaen this week.

The council is responsible for managing the grass at parks, open spaces, and alongside roads, cycle routes and footways, while also being contracted to manage Bron Afon’s green spaces during the summer.

A number of areas have been set aside to be cut less frequently to provide a habitat for wildlife. New signage is to be installed to easily identify these areas.

Locations where grass areas have been planted with bulbs (e.g. Daffodils and Crocus) won’t be cut until the leaves have started to die back - usually in late June - to ensure the bulbs flower again next year.

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Cllr Mandy Owen said: “When Covid-19 altered many of our services, grass cutting throughout the borough was reduced. This lead to an increase in wild flowers and other wildlife which we haven’t seen in a long time.

“Public support for continuing this grass cutting regime was high, so we have worked hard to come up with a schedule that meets the needs of the public in terms of safety and the environment. However, it is a balancing act, and one we continue to monitor.”

Veronika Brannovic, local nature partnership co-ordinator, said: “Road verges and urban grasslands provide important corridors for wildlife, especially pollinating insects like bees and butterflies, which is why we’re keen to create networks of wildflowers across Torfaen.”