Grass Maintenance
Leisure Services manages in excess of 300 hectares of grassland including cemeteries, sports pitches, housing estates, parks and gardens and roadside verges. Grass cutting is by far the biggest element of all the grounds maintenance works undertaken.
The main grass cutting season can commence as early as February and end as late as November, all depending on the weather.
Standard and cutting frequency depends on the use of the site, for example grass on roundabouts surrounding floral displays receive a higher level of maintenance than grass along woodland tracks. The aim is to cut every 9 -12 working days but this can be delayed during and following unfavourable weather conditions. In some instances even though it is sunny, ground water conditions/levels can make cutting impractical. During dry periods the cutting frequency is also reduced.
All areas of the borough are scheduled for equal attention however certain parts such as the Broadstone and Merley area have more fertile soil compared to parts of Sandbanks and Canford Heath.
Grass cuttings are not collected except on fine turf areas. Collecting grass cuttings would require additional machines as cutting would be slower. Additional transport would also be required to remove cuttings from site. It is estimated that if cuttings were collected then the volume of material would run into the thousands of tonnes. This would then have to be disposed of or recycled as green waste at considerable cost.
The systematic spraying of weeds on verges is not undertaken being an expensive and difficult operation. The spraying of dandelions, daisies etc. would achieve little and is environmental insensitive.
Edging of paths is a winter operation. There is around 60 kilometres of edging to do annually. Weed control is only undertaken on areas used for sports, fine turf and high amenity areas.
General Grass Cutting
This is by far the largest category of grass and includes parks, gardens, housing areas, cemeteries and verges (excluding those classified as high speed roads).
Whilst this category applies to works undertaken by Leisure Services 
own grounds staff, by far the greatest amount of such work is carried out by Continental Landscapes through their borough wide contract.
The contractor is responsible for:
- Aiming to cut every 9-12 workable days during cutting season (excludes days rained off or where grounds conditions do not permit). Cutting frequency is also reduced during drought periods
- Clearing cuttings from paths
- Clearing litter when on cutting visit
- Repairing minor damage for example vehicle ruts
Find out when the grass near you was last cut by viewing the grass maintenance schedules on the Continental Landscapes website (this link will open in a new window).
The contractor is not responsible for:
- Collecting grass cuttings
- Weed control
- Turfing, re-seeding or landscaping verges
High Amenity Grass
Areas maintained as High Amenity are limited to roundabouts with ornamental bedding or shrub displays and ornamental parks such as Poole Park.
The contractor is responsible for:
- Aiming to cut every 9-12 workable days or greater if possible to provide an attractive setting for ornamental displays
- Clearing cuttings from paths
- Collecting litter when on cutting visit
The contractor is not responsible for:
- Collecting grass cuttings
- Weed control
- Turfing, re-seeding or landscaping verges
Fine Turf
These areas are limited to the putting greens (Sandbanks Gardens and Poole Park) and lawns surrounding floral displays in Poole Park only.
The contractor is responsible for:
- Cutting one to three times per week
- Clearing cuttings from paths
- Collecting litter when cutting
- Collecting grass clippings
- Controlling pests, diseases and weeds
- Fertilising and irrigating
- Top dressing putting greens
- Reinstating damaged turf
Rough Grass
This category includes banks, sloping areas, grass tracks, informal paths and other miscellaneous areas, which cannot be managed as general grass.
The contractor is responsible for:
- Keeping between 100mm and 400mm (cutting one - four times per annum)
- Clearing grass cuttings from paths
The contractor is not responsible for:
Collecting grass cuttings
- Weed control
- Turfing, re-seeding or landscaping verges
Grass on High Speed Roads
Grass cutting on the following roads (dual carriageways and de-restricted roads) requires additional traffic management and in some cases this includes the use of mobile traffic works.
The cutting of dual carriageways is very labour intensive, involving both grass cutting staff and additional employees to operative the mobile road works. Although five cuts are undertaken each year, they are not always evenly spaced during the season. This is to take account of the growing season, but more importantly to avoid operations on these roads during busy holiday periods, so minimising disruption.
The following roads are affected:
- Gravel Hill (part A439)
- Broadstone Way (A349)
- Dorset Way (A3049)
- Magna Road (A341)
- Holes Bay Road (A350)
- Old Wareham Road (A3049)
- Upton Bypass (A3049)
- Canford Way (A3409)
- Waterloo Road (Central Reservation) (A349)
- Ringwood Road (A348) between Mountbatten and Canford Way
The contractor is responsible for:
- Cutting five times per annum
- Scheduling the work
- Providing traffic management
- Clearing grass cuttings from paths and road
The contractor is not responsible for:
- Collecting grass cuttings
- Controlling weeds
Wildflower Areas
Wildflower areas/nature conservation areas receive one cut per annum, usually in late summer/early autumn once grasses and wildflowers have set seed.
The contractor is responsible for:
- Cutting once per annum
- Clearing grass cuttings from paths
- Collecting and removing cuttings
The contractor is not responsible for:
- Controlling weeds
Hard Edging
Edging of paths, pavements and residential roads takes place each winter (when grass cutting is not required)
The contractor is responsible for:
- Edging grass areas once per annum
- Removing trimmings from site or using to fill depressions in grass areas
Directgov