In 2020 Brightling Parish Council adopted an environmental policy.

We were pleased therefore, in 2021, to be offered the opportunity by East Sussex County Council – who cut our verges – to take part in their Wildlife Verge Trial, the aim being to enable wildlife corridors and wildflowers to flourish. Three years on, following regular monitoring by local enthusiasts and Brightling and East Sussex Councils, together with the results of feedback to postings on this website, most of Brightling’s verges are now under ESCC’s Rural Verge ‘Environmental Enhancement Service’. 

In practice, this means that: the first cut at start of the season to be only visibility cuts for safety at junctions and on the inside of bends where sight lines between road users may be obscured by vegetation.  The second cut later in the season will be visibility plus a 1 metre wide swathe along the verge.  A small number of our verges – along stretches of road which are busier or where sight lines are restricted – are still designated by ESCC as Urban Verges, and these will continue to receive two mandatory cuts each year. 

Unfortunately, due to a communications error between Brightling PC and ESCC, a small number (about 10%) of our rural verges were cut last week when they shouldn’t have been.  Due to the admirable vigilance of locals and swift action from Brightling PC, the cutting programme was halted.

Apart from visibility splay cutting this spring, Brightling’s rural verges will now be left uncut until the autumn.  If you become aware of overgrown vegetation becoming a danger at junctions as the summer progresses, please contact the Clerk on clerk@brightling-pc.gov.uk who will notify our local highways steward.

On behalf of Brightling Parish Council.