THE issue of reduced grass cutting by the county council is a bugbear for many residents.

Buckinghamshire County Council has changed the number of cuts from ten to six for urban areas, following a change in the budget for grass cutting.

But this has left many residents unhappy due to the untidy appearance and reduced visibility at road junctions.

At Tuesday night's Princes Risborough Town Council meeting the issue was discussed at length by councillors.

Cllr Gary Hall said: "I don't think we should be getting grass cutting in the second and third week of May.

"Even if it hadn't have rained and been warm to encourage the grass to grow as much as it did, it is still not acceptable.

"This is the number one subject for people in the town at the moment. It is what people are really upset about."

He said the state of the grass verges around Mount Street Car Park is embarrassing.

Cllr Hall said they should push forward to have the grass cutting duties delegated to the town council to be carried out by its maintenance team.

Chairman Alan Turner said: "We can't take it on at our full expense. That would be pure and simple double taxation. That would be wrong."

Clerk Sue Griffiths said the town council could negotiate with the county to provide machinery or training.

Cllr Bill Bendyshe-Brown said they are in the process of negotiations at the moment.

He said: "The problem is, at the moment, the grass cutting costs 1.3pence per square metre, which is a very low amount.

"We couldn't do it at that rate. If we do want to take it on we would have to subsidise it quite heavily ourselves.

"We are very mindful this is what we want to try and alleviate.

But Cllr Hall said the town council needs to act sooner rather than later as this is something the people of the town feel passionate about.

He said: "Nobody told us the cuts would go from ten to six. It is appalling. I can't go to the end of the road when walking my dog without someone stopping me and complaining, because people really are furious."

Details of the grass cutting programme can be viewed online at - www.buckscc.gov.uk/transport