AS the annual verge cutting season is under way highways teams across Hampshire are taking extra care to manage Hampshire’s 226 roadside verges of ecological importance.

Good visibility is vital for motorists and other road users and so it is important to trim back verges to maintain clear lines of sight.

Verge cutting is also timed to manage designated road verges of ecological importance which have identified rare flower species.

Councillor Seán Woodward, executive member for economy, transport and environment at Hampshire County Council said: “Good visibility for all road users is critical and so it is important to make sure that our verges are trimmed. Hampshire has almost 6,000 miles of road and over 2,000 miles of them are covered by the rural grass cutting programme and the same if not more in urban areas.

“We balance this with the need to ensure that plant and wildlife habitats of special interest are protected and, with sensible timing, managed verge cutting can support wildflowers and rare species.

“This is a very busy time for our grass cutting contractors so please be patient if you get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle. We always try to keep any inconvenience to road users to a minimum but the work to keep our roads and verges in good condition is in everyone’s interest.”