AN irate grandmother is calling for a rethink over controversial reductions to North Yorkshire County Council’s grass cutting budget, which she warns is turning verges into hay fields.

Anne Alder, of Northallerton, said children have traditionally used grass areas near her home to play, but the grass is now so long it is impossible to play and they are getting covered in dog faeces which they can no longer see.

“It’s absolute nonsense, and this must be causing problems for people all over the county," said Mrs Alder, of Bankhead Road. "Children have always played on that area but this year the grass has not been cut and it’s just getting longer and longer.

“Everyone is so fed up about it. It’s too big an area for us to cut, and soon we are going to need a scythe to do it. I was thinking about asking a farmer if they want to get a tractor and take a crop off it. It is ridiculous when this has been cut by the county council for as long as I can remember.

“I honestly think it is becoming a health hazard. People who live in Broadacres houses nearby get the grass cut, obviously it’s because it is a housing association.

“The county council say their budgets are being reduced and they have no choice but to stop cutting the grass, then we hear about how they’re not putting up council tax, but why don’t they ask people what they want? Whether residents want to pay a little bit extra to have the grass cut, rather than have a field outside their homes.”

Mrs Alder said she was told the authority may review the decision in September.

“I think they need to look at it now and go back to mowing the grass properly, it makes no sense to have great fields of grass all over the place,” she added.

The council agreed last year to restrict grass cutting to save £500,000. The authority said in a statement: “North Yorkshire has 9,000km of roads and verges and due to budgetary constraints the county council now limits grass cutting to its statutory requirement for reasons of safety, mainly at junctions to maintain visibility.

“Grass cutting for amenity purposes is discretionary and the responsibility of parishes, town councils and residents. North Yorkshire has had to make savings of nearly £170 million, one third of its budget by 2020, and so has to target funding at the council’s priorities, of which highway safety is one.

"People who have issues with grassed amenity areas, are advised to raise those concerns with their parishes and town councils.”