{Photo from Aspire website)
village open spaces
We are lucky to have plenty of open grassy spaces within the built-up area of our village: the generous verges of the access roads, The Green and The Square, verges down residential streets (although many of these are regrettably used for ad hoc car parking) and, hidden behind the Church, our wonderful playing fields and playgrounds. Maintaining these areas is crucial to the overall appearance of our community and this is achieved by several means. Our aim, however, is not to achieve sterile neatness throughout - although there are areas where neatness is required for safety or functional reasons - but the creation of village environment that is alive with a wide range of flora and fauna, for the benefit of people and wildlife alike.
Grass cutting in Buckinghamshire
Grass cutting across the county falls into two categories: rural and urban (even villages count as ‘urban’). The demarkation between the two is usually the village or town signs and/or the 30mph speed signs.
Bucks Council Highways Department is responsible for rural grass cutting. They carry out four cuts a year, focusing on maintaining visibility for all road users. BC Highways work with Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Natural Environmental Partnership to ensure that roadside grass is managed for the benefit of wildlife. Please report issues with rural roadside vegetation on the Fix My Street website.
Many urban areas in Buckinghamshire have devolved responsibility for grass cutting. Brill is one of the communities now responsible for its own grass cutting, using funding from the Buckinghamshire Council budget. This means we have greater control over the appearance of our village and can be more responsive to community needs. Brill Parish Council has an agreement with Aspire Community Works to perform this and other services.
A small proportion of grass cutting in Brill is done by idverde, a huge international company contracted by Fairhive (previously Aylesbury Vale Housing Association). Idverde also cuts some legacy Bucks County Council areas of grass. The parish council does not pay for this service and we have little knowledge or control over idverde’s schedule of work. If the need is there, Aspire will cut areas of grass that are, in theory, idverde’s responsibility, as part of its commitment to deliver overall public value to the village. Aspire is not paid for these tasks and we are grateful for these goodwill gestures.
Aspire Community Works
Aspire is a community business and campaigning organisation committed to providing high quality, real living wage employment opportunities and promoting positive action in public service contracts. The company currently provides open space services in London and the South East and are keen to promote environmentally friendly practises that enable biodiversity. Aspire have been working with Brill for a number of years and has a committed team of employees.
Aspire Community Works is a full member of BALI, the leading trade association that represents landscape professionals, and was awarded the Queen’s Enterprise Award in 2021.
Aspire Community Works is responsible for maintaining many of the open spaces in Brill village including:
The Green and The Square
Most of the verges down Brae Hill and The Firs
The playing fields, including the fenced children’s playground (but not the cricket field)
Verges and “splays” (areas either side of junctions) on access roads, as far as the village signs
(Photo from Aspire website)
The object of the partnership between Aspire Community Works and Brill Parish Council is to keep the village looking green and clean and to promote biodiversity. Aspire’s work includes checking what tasks need to be carried out and completing these to a high standard. They visit the village regularly, at least once a month and up to every fortnight during high growing periods.
In cooperation with Aspire, the Parish Council left some of our green spaces uncut during the 2023 growing season to allow wild flowers to emerge and set seed. These areas included part sof The Green and, on request from individual residents, grass verges throughout the village. Read an end-of-season report of this initiative.
Note that local councils are now obliged under the Environment Act 2021 to take active steps to increase biodiversity. Read a summary of our obligations and Parish Council’s Biodiversity Policy.
Problems?
If you have a problem with any aspect of open spaces within Brill talk to the Aspire team who will either deal with the issue directly or suggest you contact the parish council to take appropriate.
pavements & Alleys IN BRILL VILLAGE
As mentioned above, Brill Parish Council has a devolved responsibility for grass cutting within the village. This means that the parish council is also responsible for keeping footpaths, pavements and alleys clear of significant obstruction. If a hedge or shrub poses a danger or significant inconvenience to road users, including pedestrians, we will identify the landowner and issue a hedge cutting notice. If the landowner cannot be found, or refuses to cut back the problematic hedge, the parish council will cut the hedge and bill the landowner.
We also have a duty to “side out” footpaths/pavements. This means making sure that soil, weeds and grass do not unduly obstruct footpaths or pavements. Where vegetation intruding on the public footpath originates from adjacent private land, the council will ask the landowner to cut it back. If surface weeds or grass are causing a problem, we will ask Mr Timms (a local gentleman who helps the PC care for the village environment) to remove these.
Winter sun lighting the alleyway connecting Temple Street and the playing fields (Photo by Andy Cotgreave)
On the South Hills part of Brill Common, looking towards the windmill
Ewes and lambs in the Tramhill end of the Walks
Brill Common and The Walks
Although these areas are not part of the village open spaces we thought we’d include this information here for completeness.
The grass on The Walks and Brill Common is managed by our hard-working teams of volunteers. Sheep graze The Walks at intervals throughout the year. Outside these times, the main thoroughfares and some other areas are mowed, leaving key areas (including nettles!) to grow long. If you live adjacent to The Walks, please do NOT mow the other side of the boundary fence; remember that the grass may be long for a reason. If you want to have a say on the mowing schedule, why not join The Walks Group and get involved in the care of this lovely area?
The grassland of Brill Common is maintained by the Brill Village Community Herd of Dexters. The common is divided into four main grazing areas and the cattle are moved every 2-4 months; you can check where they are located on the Herd website. As with The Walks, there are strict limitations on what you as a householder can do on the common land. You may, for example “cut back nettles, docks and thistles adjacent to your home”, but you may NOT mow the grass, even small patches “to create the impression of a private garden lawn”. Weedkiller and the dumping of garden rubbish are also forbidden. If you haven’t already done so, please read the parish council Common & Walks Policy ASAP.
In early summer, carefully selected areas of Brill common are mowed by volunteers and the grass baled as hay.
RIGHTS OF WAY
Again not part of the village open spaces but since we’re thinking about grass cutting and vegetation control we might as well finish the story!
Footpaths and bridleways outside the village are ultimately the responsibility of Bucks Highways - because all RoWs are technically highways - but this responsibility is shared when parish councils undertake devolved services. This said, Highways (or the parish council) are only responsible for the surface of RoWs; a width of a metre or so. Vegetation, fallen trees, flooding or other obstructions originating from the margins of a RoW are always the responsibility of the landowner.
In reality, Bucks Highways helps parish councils by mowing significant RoWs; for example, those associated with the county-wide Bernwode Jubilee Way. This means that Highways mow the popular Span Green footpath - but will leave side-growth to the landowner; in this case, the parish council. because Span Green is common land, so trees like the one shown in the photo are our responsibility.
If in doubt, report problems to the Bucks RoW Team. They work closely with the parish council and together we’ll sort it out.
Fallen tree on the Boarstall end of Span Green; one for the parish council!
Confused? Don’t be!
Problem with grass areas within the village? Talk to the Aspire team if they are on site, otherwise tell the parish council.
Problem with pavements or alleys within the village? Report to the parish council and we’ll sort out who is responsible.
Problem with roadside vegetation outside the village? Report to Bucks Highways using the Fix My Street website.
Overgrown footpath or bridle path (or other obstruction, including broken stiles)? Report to the Bucks RoW team who will then work with the parish council and/or the landowner to resolve the problem.