Find out who is responsible for maintaining grass, hedges and trees, view our grass cutting map and report an issue online.
Log in and report an issue with a verge, tree or hedge
If you prefer, you can tell us about a verge, tree or hedge issue anonymously, but you will miss out on the benefits of having an account such as getting progress updates.
Motorways and trunk roads such as the A1, A1(M), M62, A66, A66(M), A64, A168 (Dishforth to Thirsk) and A19 (north of Thirsk) must be reported to National Highways.
If it's an emergency and poses a safety risk, contact us. Out of office hours, call North Yorkshire Police on 101. If there is danger to life, call 999.
Our grass cutting policies are safety led in accordance with our statutory duty set out in The Highways Act 1980. The policy is structured to manage the different requirements in both urban and rural environments. Due to decreased budgets, we no longer cut grass verges for aesthetic reasons, and any grass cutting changes will be assessed on an individual basis in consideration of road safety requirements.
Our urban highway grass cutting policy applies to grass within the boundaries of roads with a speed limit of 40mph or less. We cut this grass five times per year between April and September.
We cut grass in these locations:
Our rural highway grass cutting policy applies to grass verges along roads with a speed limit of over 40mph. We cut this grass twice per year.
We cut grass in these locations:
Local parish and town councils might want to cut grass more frequently or extensively than we offer. Parish and town councils have the option to carry out urban grass cutting themselves with a financial contribution from us. This contribution can only go towards cutting grass in areas that we would have cut if we were responsible for grass cutting. Any grass cutting outside of those areas must be paid for by the parish or town council.
We are not responsible for maintaining the verges of private roads leading to or from private properties, or for the vast majority of hedges by the roadside which are usually the responsibility of the adjacent landowner.
We have to balance the safety of road users and pedestrians with environmental considerations, recognising that verges are important for wildlife. Some of our grass cutting is done early in the year, and some in July, August or September, to allow flowers to set seed whilst also maintaining safety.
Where weeds are causing a safety hazard, we use one application of a non-residual contact herbicide called 'glyphosate', which conforms to health and safety and Environment Agency requirements. We may use additional treatments where required.
You can use our online map to find out who is responsible for cutting urban highway grass in each parish in North Yorkshire. Urban highways are roads with a speed limit of 40mph or less.
Our rural grass cutting maps are not currently available to view online but can be provided on request.
We receive many reports of verge damage every year. To minimise damage you can take the following steps.
If you are prepared to cut the grass in your parish, you should contact your parish council directly to get permission. We have offered parish councils a financial contribution for cutting the visibility and safety areas of urban highway grass.
Never plant bulbs or other cultivated plants on roadside verges without first obtaining a licence from us.
Hedges and trees grown to mark the boundary with private property are the responsibility of the landowner or occupier and it is up them to maintain them.
We are responsible for:
Contact us to report a fallen tree.
Give the road location and any identifiable landmarks in the area to help identify the spot. A description of the tree, including approximate width, depth and length, and where it is lying in the road would be helpful.
Private landowners and occupiers have responsibility for:
If your hedge is causing an obstruction or presenting a danger, we will tell you that work to cut the offending vegetation must be undertaken within 14 days.
If action isn't taken, or if it is an immediate safety issue, we may carry out the work and recover costs from you.
We will only take action where a hedge or tree is overhanging the highway or causing an obstruction or safety issue for road users.
We cannot help you to resolve disputes with neighbours concerning hedges that are on private land.
Some trees are protected by tree preservation orders and/or lie within conservation areas.
This can be checked with your district or borough council. Consent is required before any works, including minor pruning, are carried out on protected trees.
A tree preservation order prohibits the cutting down, uprooting, topping, lopping, wilful damage or wilful destruction of trees without the consent of the local authority.
They can be applied to any tree or woodland which may be of special interest or makes a positive contribution to its surrounding environment and the community. Trees exempt from tree preservation orders are those that are dead, dying, diseased or dangerous and fruit trees grown for the commercial production of fruit.
Learn more about tree preservation orders in our trees and hedges section.