Thank you for your petition. The highway grass cutting standards that Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) deliver is to maintain safety. The specification for highway grass in urban areas aims to ensure that it remains at or below 150mm (approx. 6”) in length throughout the year. Grass in rural areas is usually cut twice a year as a swathe cut except for grass that might impede visibility at junctions etc which is cut more frequently to maintain sight lines. The current standard for grass cutting along the verges on the A405 between Chiswell Green and Tippendale and Park are defined as an urban cut and fall within this specification to ensure that it remains at or below 150mm (approx. 6”) in height throughout the year as outlined above. The roundabouts at this location fall within the visibility cut which is undertaken 4 times a year, with the specification being 250mm in height at all times to maintain both sight lines and to ensure that roundabouts are safe for travel. The grass verges along Chiswell Green and the roundabouts were cut on the 20th July as per programme with a further two cuts to commence before October (visibility cut) and a further Urban cut scheduled within the next 6 weeks, More details of our programmed grass cutting can be found here: http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/transtreets/highways/hhonlineservices/hedgegrasstrees/ HCC do audit the term maintenance contractors work to ensure they comply to our defined contractual and safety standards and this is ongoing throughout the Verge Maintenance Contract, We (HCC) have reviewed both the standards for each cut along with the frequency and they are appropriate for the locations highlighted. We continue to monitor the situation taking into consideration the impact of the weather on the rate of growth. HCC’s term maintenance contractor (Ringway) also co-ordinate highway grass cutting with litter picking, which is the responsibility of and undertaken by the District/Borough Council’s (in this case St Albans District Council) so as to minimise disruption to the travelling public and to ensure that not only is the highway safe (which is a priority) but also left clear of litter along the verges.