Broken strimmers and short staffing have been blamed for Wrexham’s escalating grass cutting issues.

Members of Wrexham Council’s homes and environment scrutiny committee have tabled an urgent debate to take place next month because of the high volume of concerns received from residents.

A number of people in the area have voiced safety fears in recent weeks, particularly over the lack of visibility caused by uncut grass at busy road junctions.

It comes after the council voted to reduce the number of grass cuttings it carries out at locations around the county from approximately eight per year to just two back in 2014.

Plas Madoc councillor Paul Blackwell claimed he was receiving up to three calls an hour from unhappy residents and called for the service to be outsourced to solve the problem.

Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday, he said: “The excuse I’ve had from the department is that they haven’t got enough seasonal staff.

“I think the debate needs to happen as soon as possible. The department is currently failing residents and if the grass contract can’t be delivered in house then it needs to be outsourced to an external contractor.”

Brynyffynon councillor Alun Jenkins shared problems brought to his attention by bereaved relatives regarding the height of grass at Wrexham Cemetery.

He said: “I’ve had complaints that the grass in the cemetery was up to three feet high, that people couldn’t see the gravestones and it was causing a hazard.

“However, they said that the strimmers weren’t working and there were no more available.”

Meanwhile Cllr Graham Rogers also said he was told that the reduction in mowing was because of a ‘lack of manpower’.

Officers assured the committee that grass cutting in the county was a priority and said they would bring a report to July’s meeting.

It came on the same day that the authority announced grass cutting along the A483 will start later this month, with cutting along the A5 planned in September and October.

It forms part of a £3m investment in Wrexham’s road network during 2018/19, covering everything from resurfacing and lighting to potholes and litter clearing.

Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “I am pleased to announce that our programme of works will start very soon.

“We will see improvements to our roads and Wrexham Bus Station, together with cyclic maintenance along the A483.

“Ensuring our infrastructure is maintained is a priority for the council, following a difficult winter period of ice and snow.”