New HortWeek Freedom of Information research has exposed the reality of local governance. Grass cutting regimes have transformed in recent years because changes in weather patterns mean grass grows more in spring and autumn but less in mid-summer. However, formal policy changes to deal with this on the ground move at a glacial pace, leaving front-line managers to carry the burden of real-time adaptation.
Official council strategies rarely change mid-season. Budgets remain locked, targets stay fixed, and public expectations for pristine green spaces do not simply evaporate when the rain stops. Yet running heavy blades over dormant, sunbaked turf is a double waste. This scorches yellowing lawns beyond repair and drains public funds through wasted fuel and labour.
Because top-level policy lacks the speed to handle volatile weather, ground-level operational managers are forced to become nimble tacticians. They must constantly rewrite rotas, pivot crews away from parched verges, and redirect labour toward urgent interventions such as watering struggling trees. Staff may face a shortage of work or lack the necessary training for available tasks.
While managers have proven remarkably resourceful at stretching scarce public resources under extreme weather, their flex capacity is not infinite. Until overarching council policies incorporate dynamic, weather-responsive operational frameworks, ground staff will remain balancing rigid administrative expectations against an unpredictable climate. Local government can no longer afford rigid summer schedules; flexibility must become built-in policy, not just an emergency workaround.
READ THE FULL REPORT
How each council in the UK is coping with climate change and grasscutting
See the full, council-by-council breakdown and data analysis of HortWeek's investigation into how councils are adapting grass cutting practice in extreme weather conditions.
Record drought and heat forces nearly half of UK councils to halt summer mowing
As Britain endured its hottest summer on record and the driest July in 190 years local authorities across England and Wales were forced to adapt on the ground, with almost 50% of councils pausing or reducing grass cutting during the summer as growth ground to a halt.
- Arun District Council (Ceased grass mowing in most of July and August)
- Barking & Dagenham Council (Cut less mid-summer due to hot weather)
- Bedford Borough Council (Cut less mid-summer due to drought)
- Boston, Spalding, East Lindsey (South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership) (Reduced cutting during drought)
- Bromsgrove District Council (Reduced or stopped mowing during sustained hot/dry weather)
- Buckinghamshire Council (Delayed third verge cut due to limited growth)
- Calderdale Council (No cutting needed at times during hot dry summer)
- Cambridgeshire County Council (Stopped routine cutting after start of June; transferred to tidying/litter picking)
- City of Wolverhampton Council (Reduced mid-summer cutting due to growth stopping)
- Dover District Council (Reduction in cutting frequencies during extreme drought)
- East Riding of Yorkshire Council (Did not send cutters out when there was no grass to cut)
- Eastleigh Borough Council (Suspended cutting for 4 weeks during peak summer)
- Epping Forest District Council (Cut less in summer 2026)
- Erewash Borough Council (Significant reduction in frequency from June onwards)
- Fareham Borough Council (Stopped cutting during extreme heat; drivers diverted to other priorities)
- Gedling Borough Council (Ceased mowing for ~1 month in August due to dry conditions and fire risk)
- Guildford Borough Council (Stopped cutting for a few weeks at summer height; reduced overall frequency by 1-2 cuts)
- Haringey Council (Reduced cutting frequency during mid-to-late summer)
- Horsham District Council (Contractors asked to stop cutting during summer heat/drought)
- Hull City Council (Ceased cutting for a few weeks during dry spells)
- Hyndburn Borough Council (Cut less frequently during hot/dry periods)
- King's Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council (Fewer cuts undertaken in July/August 2026)
- Kingston upon Thames Council (Majority of grassed areas required no cutting in August 2026)
- Leeds City Council (Suspended maintenance during hot/dry periods)
- Leicestershire County Council (Suspended dry weather cuts and reallocated them)
- London Borough of Hillingdon Council (Stopped cutting late June 2026)
- London Borough of Islington Council (Adapted mowing regimes to reduce stress on grass)
- London Borough of Sutton (Mowing suspended for several weeks during summer)
- Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (Cut less over mid-summer due to drought)
- Mid Sussex District Council (Fewer cuts during the summer heatwave)
- New Forest District Council (Cancelled cuts in July, August, and September 2026)
- North Devon Council (Very little cutting done in summer 2026 due to dry weather)
- North East Derbyshire District Council (Mowing interval elongated from July 2026 onwards)
- North Kesteven District Council (Frequency reduced implicitly as grass did not grow)
- North Warwickshire Borough Council (Stopped cutting in parks mid-June 2026)
- Nottingham City Council (Less cutting in summer due to grass being burnt off)
- Peterborough City Council (Fewer cuts required in July and August 2026)
- Preston City Council (Cut less frequently during July and August 2026)
- Rushmoor Borough Council (Cut twice up to late June 2026, then suspended until September)
- Salford City Council (Called off mowing due to hot weather)
- Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (Less cutting during summer months due to dry conditions)
- Southampton City Council (Suspended most cutting for a couple of months in mid-summer)
- Stafford Borough Council (Reduced number of cuts in 2026 due to hot weather)
- Staffordshire County Council (Reduced mowing frequency in selected green spaces during summer)
- Stratford on Avon District Council (Cut less in mid-summer due to drought)
- Thanet District Council (Paused cutting late July until mid-September 2026)
- Three Rivers District Council (Far less cutting done in 2026 as there was nothing to cut)
- Thurrock Council (Routine cutting largely suspended from 20 July to early September 2026)
- Torridge District Council (Fewer cuts needed during July/August heatwave)
- Vale of Glamorgan Council (Removed cut six due to lack of growth and fire risks)
- Walsall Council (Less cutting during the long dry summer)
- Warrington Borough Council (Suspended cutting in extreme dry weather)
- Warwick District Council (Stopped grass cutting due to drought conditions)
- Wealden District Council (Cut less in summer 2026; September cut cancelled)
- Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (Authorised suspension of grass cutting)
- West Berkshire Council (Suspended operations during summer growth slowdowns)
- West Lindsey District Council (Less cutting during hot weather)
- West Oxfordshire District Council (Cancelled August cut in both 2025 and 2026)
- West Sussex County Council (Suspended fourth urban cycle; redeployed staff to tree watering)
- Woking Borough Council (Suspended cuts due in August; restarted mid-September)
- Wyre Borough Council (Cut less in summer 2026 than spring/autumn)
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