PICTURED: 'Shoddy' grass around Bexley leaves residents fuming

The Oval in Sidcup, parks in Bexleyheath and grass verges across Bexley are just some of the places that have sent people into disarray.

Maria Weston, 40, of Colindale Avenue, moved to Sidcup eight years ago “as it was a lovely area” but now she says it is an eyesore.

The Oval

She told News Shopper: “We used to get regular cuttings of the grass at The Oval and it used to be beautiful.

“But, over the last month, the area has looked terrible and it’s a mess - residents are having to do it themselves out of desperation.

“It’s very sad driving around to see the state of the area like this - it's an eyesore.”

Bexley Council recently sent contractors to deal with sections of overgrown grass in Sidcup, but Ms Weston says the job is done without care.

“Someone came round, near to where I live, to cut some of the grass verges with a strimmer”, she added.

“They look so bad because it’s done with no care - there’s grass all over the pavements - and it is so long in some places that you could easily step in dog poo.

“I saw an elderly man trying to cut the grass verge outside his property and he was clearly struggling to manoeuvre the lawnmower around. It is not acceptable.”

John Kealy, 53, of Beechwood Crescent, Bexleyheath, told News Shopper how the Sidcup memorial site, opposite the registry offices in The Green, was not being attended to.

John Kealy

He said: “The services are diminishing around Bexley – there’s even overgrown grass at the Sidcup memorial site which doesn’t look nice.

“I’ve lived here for ages and it’s the first time I’ve ever known the greenery to look this shoddy – something needs to be done about it.”

And the discontent does not end there, Lynn Evans, 57, of Nursery Avenue, Bexleyheath, claims that if she let her Yorkshire terrier, Zena, off the lead in Palmer Gardens, she would lose her.

“The little park is like a jungle - I took my dog there on Sunday and I can’t let her off the lead because I know I won’t be able to find her”, she said.

Zena

“I called the council about the length of the grass five days ago and I haven’t got a reply.”

A Bexley Council spokesman said: “We have reduced the frequency of grass cutting in our parks and open spaces as part of the £63m of savings we have had to make since 2010.

“The grass at Sidcup Place has been cut as planned on the following dates, March 14, April 5, May 4 and on June 11.

“The grass cutting at Sidcup Place on June 11 was started and the areas facing Chislehurst Road and The Green were completed. Given the size of the site, it takes more than a day to finish the cut, crews are continuing operations.”