Residents aim to get to root of grass-cutting problem

Homeowners in the Greengage area claim they have contacted Roads Service, Ballymoney Borough Council and the developer of the site - with all three pointing the not-so-green finger of blame at one another.

Ballymoney council cuts one metre into the verges in the development but the grass beyond that is not touched - causing it to grow over three feet high in some places.

Now the fed-up locals have said enough is enough and say they want the “disgraceful” situation resolved.

One told the Times: “The council come down about once every three weeks and cut the verges back by about a metre.

“But then they leave the rest which is really stupid looking and makes the area look neglected.”

The residents got local MLA Mervyn Storey on the case last year and for a while all the grass was trimmed back by the council, though they reverted to cutting designated areas a short time later.

“It seems once you stop ringing them they don’t bother,” said the resident.

“There is a large section of ground when you are coming into our estate where weeds are towering.

“It makes it very difficult to see around the corner which makes it a danger too.

“We contacted Roads Service but they said it wasn’t up to them as the development has not been signed off yet.

“It is not being kept right at all. It’s an absolute disgrace. Some of the residents have been here for eight years and the problem has been ongoing. We wonder what we are paying our rates for.

“Other parts of the town are well maintained so why is our area not?

“It has to be addressed now as people are at the end of their tether.”