WOKINGHAM's environment chief has apologised amid a furore surrounding grass cutting in the borough after open spaces were not mown for nearly a month.

At a full borough council meeting last Thursday, Cllr Angus Ross, who has overseen the introduction of a new contractor rolled out across the town and surrounding villages, admitted it had been done poorly, following pressure from Liberal Democrat councillors and irate residents.

Cllr Ross said: "We have always recognised the difficulty of introducing a new grounds maintenance work contract but we are all on the same hymn sheet here.

"In no way am I ducking responsibility for this but I don't believe it is my job to go around and decide every little square of grass and how it is cut.

"But the introduction was not good."

He added in the last two weeks of the previous contract, the outgoing contractor was 'closing down his operation' and in the first two weeks of the new contract, the new contractor was training staff on new equipment, hence a 'month of no grass being cut', He added: "Part of the reason was misunderstanding, part was the sheer volume of grass that required cutting at that time, having been in a high-growth season and a four-week gap.

"A big problem was the polarised view between those residents who embraced the long grass and biodiversity and those who wanted the grass close cut."

In some areas were the grass had grown to over 18 inches high, leading dog-walkers to voice concerns they could no longer use verges and fears from parents that uncut communal areas were dangerous for their children to play in.

The new grass contract with a company known as ISS came into effect in April of this year, replacing an older contract run by Quadron and was signed off last November.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Lindsay Ferris, Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Group and councillor for Twyford, said: "I believe you took your eye off the ball at an important stage, and if we had enough votes this would be a motion of no confidence rather than as now reads.

"No distinction was made between areas of communal use regularly used by residents and those more outlying areas where it would be possible to leave some grass to grow.

"We had the situation where council staff needed to go around the borough to meet upset residents to decide what needed to be cut and what can be left. This shows a complete lack of forethought on your behalf."