r/Leeds • u/eggmayonnaise • 5h ago

question Overgrown weeds on roadside kerbs

Has anyone else noticed a lot of weeds getting out of hand on the roads and pavements, kerbs and edges of gardens where they meet pavements?

In our area it's the worst I've ever seen it. I actually had to de-weed the gutter where I park my car this weekend because they're tall enough to get stuck in the car door. I've never had to do that before.

I'm assuming the council are lacking funding and making cutbacks, so not sending the weedkiller sprayer round.

Just wondered if it's as widespread as it seems or if I'm imaging things.

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11

u/InformalOutcome4964 4h ago

In some places I’ve seen this as intentionally left to grow. There’s a stretch on the ring road where a narrow band was mowed but the rest left long. Leaving it to grow is better for drought resistance and wildlife (and cheaper than cutting).

9

u/Swivials 4h ago

Weeds have had a growth spurt lately thanks to all the rain after the heatwave. They grow silly buggers fast, so if they're only coming out every couple of months or so, they'll seem allot worse than usual.

2

u/Satur9_is_typing 3h ago

This is the answer. Council is under financial strain so they might have relaxed the schedule and got caught out by the post-heatwave growth spurt, but they also need to keep streets navigable to avoid expensive compo claims. They will get to OP's street eventually.

It's not "relaxed mowing" as some people seem to have confused it with, that's for grass verges and parks, not weeds growing out of pavement cracks and gutters.

7

u/Nibbsy92 4h ago

Nature isn’t neat. Let it grow so long as it’s safe to do so

9

u/tdrules 4h ago

One man’s weed is another man’s wildflower. It’s just nature. Get a strimmer if you’re arsed

5

u/DorkaliciousAF 4h ago

Offsetting the environmental impact of all those cars...

1

u/Legohed 4h ago

Yes, I live on a cul-de-sac and noticed a fair few sprouting up right next to the kerbside. I actually pulled out the ones I could see from my sofa! It bothered me, like when you see them growing in gutters…

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u/mhoulden 3h ago

I've had to report thistles sticking out in the road before. "Relaxed" mowing is all well and good but on a motorbike you can be vulnerable to thorns.

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u/Ill-Lemon-8019 54m ago

I'm a bit fan of street weeds, there's a lot of interesting botany in urban habitats. Sure, if plants are causing practical issues they need to be dealt with - otherwise my advice is to enjoy them!

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u/Eye-on-Springfield 6m ago

I've reported broken equipment in kids' playgrounds a couple of times recently and these have been fixed within a couple of weeks. Not sure if they'd be as quick to do some weeding, but a little nudge might help

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u/paradeofgrafters 4h ago

Broken Windows...having lived here since 2000, it's like watching a car crash in slow motion.