Scarborough's greenery being ploughed into mud eyesores

Huw Roberts with the destruction to the grass verge

A resident wants to see drivers who plough up grass verges be given community service to repair them.

Damage caused to grass verges by cars and delivery trucks is becoming an increasing problem in parts of Scarborough, including Peasholm area.

Huw Roberts, of Peasholm Gardens, said: “This is a problem that’s happening around the Peasholm area with lots of grass verges being damaged.”

“The number of home deliveries are increasing and they’re not taking proper care. It’s the sheer scale of the damage.”

The damage has been caused by vehicles mounting the kerb and travelling too fast .

The 66-year-old mows the verges outside his home every time he does his own garden and edges them once a year.

He saw a delivery truck cause the damage and spoke to the driver who admitted causing the damage but said he had to mount the verge as a van was parked opposite.

Mr Roberts said: “I told him that there was ample room to pass the van without straying onto the verge if he had only driven at reasonable speed and proper care.”

Mr Roberts contacted the police regarding what he says is an incident of criminal damage.

He said previously: “If justice takes its proper course, I would expect the driver to be summonsed and, if found guilty, a hundred or so hours of community service would enable him to do a fair amount of good work, like repairing verges damaged by him and some of his fellow drivers.”

People parking on verges is also an issue elsewhere, with extensive damage to sections of Mountside, off Filey Road, where areas that were re-seeded with grass by the council near Dunollie now churned-up and other stretches of the area left as mud by construction traffic and delivery vehicles.

North Yorkshire County Council is responsible for maintaining roadside verges for safety purposes.

A spokesperson said: “We will inspect the verges in Peasholm Gardens and if any damage there is causing a danger to road users, we will make repairs. We understand that any verge damage is unsightly, but unfortunately we do not have sufficient resources to address purely cosmetic damage. Verges will often recover naturally.”

Cllr Bill Chatt said: “People parking on grass verges has become a nightmare. North Yorkshire County Council needs to do something. Kids walking to school are getting covered in mud.”

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