On Thursday 19th August North Lanarkshire Council are holding a meeting to discuss grass cutting on non-council land which NLC stopped maintaining this summer.
The subject of non-Council land not being maintained by NLC has been controversial and raised serious concerns by many residents and groups. GTRA who wrote to NLC on behalf of Gartcosh and Mount Ellen residents, copies of the letters are available in the News Feed.
Below are the minutes of tomorrows NLC meeting
Meeting Agenda 19/08/2021
(1) Declarations of Interest in terms of the Ethical Standards in Public Life Etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
(2) Notice of Motion by Councillor Linden and Councillor Fotheringham
“That North Lanarkshire Council acknowledges the significant challenges faced by Officers within the Environmental Service of the Council in undertaking their grass cutting programme and extends its thanks to our hardworking and dedicated staff for their actions against the backdrop of COVID-19 and the savings taken to date in this service.
That the Council further acknowledges that there have been significant delays in treating weeds across the Local Authority as a consequence of Service Pressures on Environmental Services.
The Council also understands the significant impact that is being felt by Local People, following the implementation of the decision of the Council to cease maintenance of some 1800 areas of non-Council owned grass lands in the Authority and considers that this alongside the Grass Maintenance Programme is an issue of real importance to the people of North Lanarkshire.
Accordingly, the Council agrees to the following actions to address these issues:
Agrees that Council in recognising the pressures on the Service and the exacerbation caused by COVID – shall:
Commit to a one off cut in areas both under Council ownership and the 1800 areas of previously maintained non-Council land by the end of this season, to the standard expected, and to include strimming of all such areas within a budget of £300k.
and
Agrees that an urgent report be tabled to the next relevant Committee Meeting of the Council to update on the progress of these urgent actions, associated costs and review the delivery of the Councils maintenance programme at that time.
and
Notes the intention to fund this action through temporary use of one-off resources pertaining to the Covid-19 Contingency Fund or other source of one-off funding as deemed appropriate by the Section 95 Officer, up to a value of £300k in 2021/22, pending full consideration of associated costs and potential permanent funding as part of considerations during the 2022/23 budget setting process.”
