Grass cutting and grounds maintenance

Grounds maintenance in North West Leicestershire is carried out by a dedicated, qualified and experienced team whose central hub is in Coalville.

The team works across the district grass cutting, shrub and tree maintenance, hedgecutting, sports pitches, play areas, cemeteries, memorial testing, housing sites, allotments, landscaping, tree works, planting of trees, shrubs, herbaceous, bulbs and floral displays.

Grass cutting

The team cuts grass areas owned by the District Council in parks and open spaces, sheltered housing sites, cemeteries, closed churchyards and nature sites.  Some grass areas are now being left completely uncut or mown less frequently which will encourage pollinators like bees and buttterflies.

The council has relaxed the mowing schedule around the perimeters of our sports fields which, in previous years, were cut twice a year. The old golf course and the putting green at our Hermitage Lakeside site were not mown last year and will continue to be left uncut in the future.

Grass that is along the highway is maintained by Leicestershire County Council. Please visit the County Council website for further information on grass cutting in your area.

Floral displays

The council provides a wildflower display in Coalville parks and cemeteries with Coalville in Bloom seeing flower towers and hanging baskets around town bringing colour through the summer months.  The beds are cleared, prepared and seeded once in the year to provide welcome colour in summer along with flowers increasing the biodiversity and for our pollinators to feed on. The flower beds are cleared at the end of the season and are left fallow over winter period.

The council only uses peat free compost or soil in all landscaping and horticulture. Glyphosate is no longer used as a general weed killer instead a combination of more environmentally conscientious alternatives as well as manual weed control and a covering bark mulch are used, where appropriate.

Trees

The council remains dedicated to increasing the canopy cover in the district by planting trees in appropriate spaces. Trees are the ultimate carbon capture machine as they grow helping us to combat the effects of climate change and helps as the council follow its zero carbon roadmap. These trees will help enhance biodiversity across our open spaces as well as creating habitat for birds and insects. They have also been proven to have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing.  

Cemeteries and closed churchyards

The grounds maintenance team maintains the local cemeteries in Coalville, Whitwick and Hugglescote. The work includes maintenance of the grounds, burials and memorial testing.

In the summer of 2019, the council carried out a number of improvement works within Coalville Cemetery (London Road) including the installation of a WW1 commemorative seat, litter bin and lectern.

Play equipment

The council maintains more than 30 play areas and skateparks throughout the district. Many sites are managed on behalf of local parish councils. The play equipment is checked on a regular basis by RPII registered inspectors to make sure it is kept in good working order.