WORK TO tackle a six-month backlog of overgrown hedges and verges in Chelmsford is under way after a funding spat was finally resolved.
Chelmsford City Council downed tools in April after Essex County Council axed its £120,000 annual contribution towards maintaining the city's grass verges alongside footpaths, byways and highways.
Now, the city council's maintenance team are playing catch-up after the county council belatedly agreed to pledge £50,000 towards the project.
"Essex County Council reduced funding last year and we said we couldn't cope with that," said Councillor Ray Ride, city council cabinet member for parks and leisure .
"Instead we have picked it up ourselves and we are pushing on with it.
"That will give us completely cut and fresh-looking bridleways, footpaths and countryways across the whole of Chelmsford, and that gives a significant amount of confidence to the people who use those.
"There is an awful lot of work that the city council and parks team are doing in collaboration and under delegation from the county council, to maintain and cut back to make bridleways, footpaths and countryways safe for all the people who enjoy living in Chelmsford and we will continue to do that with funding from the county council."
The city council, which contributed £53,000 to the project from its own funds to try to cover the shortfall, started tending to the unsightly patches last month.
Mr Ride, who added that the project will be complete by the end of November, said the work is about 40 per cent complete.
The city council is responsible for cutting away at patches and hedges along bridleways, footpaths and countryways, while the county council will continue tending to areas beside the roads.
City council leader Cllr Roy Whitehead said: "We hope this is the problem all solved.
"We had long discussions with the county council and clearly we weren't happy that they weren't carrying out their duties.
"There was a hiatus from April, which we've been very concerned about, but we're catching up and set a deadline for November to do it because there is so much to do."
The county council money will also be used for flooding maintenance.
Announcing the funding allocation, county council cabinet member for highways and transportation Rodney Bass said: "I want to repeat our initiative for Chelmsford City Council and contribute £50,000.
"This will give Chelmsford's local highways panel greater spending power to significantly enhance Chelmsford's neighbourhoods."
