Hollingdean residents call for brambles to be cut back

Hollingdean Residents’ Association members said that they had been asking the council to cut back the overgrowth on a bank between the bottom of Davey Drive and Horton Road for years.

Residents said that people had been injured by the brambles, including a young skateboarder whose face was cut after falling on to the bank.

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The association secured funds from the council’s estates development budget in April 2019 to trim back the brambles which are on council land.

But the work has not been done and, in January, residents were told that Cityparks could not cut the bank as a tractor-mounted flail could not manage it.

Residents were told that Cityparks would keep the overgrowth cut back off the path and steps.

Now, a question has been submitted to the council’s north area housing panel, which is due to meet on Wednesday, asking for an explanation.

Residents are calling for Brambles on Davey Drive to be brought under control

Residents called on the council to use external contractors with appropriate machinery to clear the overgrowth.

The question said: “Direct discussions between Hollingdean Residents’ Association and Cityparks have not resolved this problem and explanations about a lack of appropriate machinery and a lack of staff have been repeated.

“Residents’ representatives have attended the estates task and finish group to raise this as it is recognised that a similar problem exists in other areas of the city. This hasn’t yet led to a satisfactory solution but the discussion is ongoing.”

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In the meeting papers, the council said that it had stopped using glyphosate weed killer but had not found a satisfactory substitute.

It said: “In relation to verges, as we are behind on cutting, we will not be strimming around lamp posts and spraying around these is no longer an option.

“There are inconsistencies across the city. These are not intentional and are caused by other operational factors, such as staffing.

“Cityparks currently has contractors and agency staff assisting the gardeners in the north area due to them having the highest number of staff shortages.”

Council workers have previously trimmed the brambles back

Council workers trimmed the brambles on Wednesday 11 August and Thursday 12 August.

The North Area Housing Panel is due to meet virtually at 7pm on Wednesday. For more details, see the council website.

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