A PARISH council is demanding value for money for taxpayers over extra grass cutting.

Warndon Parish Council pays Worcester City Council about £8,000 a year for ‘enhanced’ grass cutting, which entitles them to one full-time employee who just trims green spaces in Warndon Villages between April and September.

The parish council took the decision to pay for the service several years ago after money-saving cuts were made by both the city and county councils. As part of the agreement, the city council pays for the machinery while the parish group pays for the man hours.

But in September last year, the parish council noticed standards were slipping following problems with machinery. Parish councillor Ray Morris said while the grass in the Villages is getting cut as part of the city council’s neighbourhood cleanliness scheme, it is not to a suitable standard for the enhanced service they pay for.

Coun Morris said: “It’s all very well to have a man, but there’s a huge difference between hiring a man and the amount of work that gets done.” The issue was raised during a meeting of the parish council following an invoice from the city council charging £7,788 for the service. During the meeting, Coun Morris called for a meeting to define what is provided before the grass-cutting season begins in April.

He said: “This needs resolving.” David Sutton, Worcester City Council’s service manager for cleaner and greener city, said: “Last summer was particularly challenging for our grass cutting service. We are in dialogue with Warndon Parish Council.”