Brand new, state-of-the-art grass cutting equipment will be used by teams from Plymouth City Council in 2018.

Over £500,000 will be invested in new ground maintenance equipment to keep the city’s parks neat, verges tidy and wildflower meadows at their best.

Ride on mowers with flail decks especially designed for wildflower meadows are among the new fleet, as are grass cutters that are capable of cutting some of Plymouth’s sloping banks with a better quality of cut.

Plymouth Councillor Mike Leaves, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and the Environment, said: “Keeping our ground maintenance equipment up to date helps us stay on top of all the work that needs to be done to keep our parks and green spaces looking lush and inviting.

“Older machines can be costly to run and maintain so we have invested in upgrading the fleet to be more efficient.

“It’s also important to ensure are teams have the tools they need to cope with the change in the way that the grass grows as we experience ever-changing warmer and wetter summers.”

The funding for the new equipment has been approved as a loan from the Capital budget. The investment will help cut the amount of machinery breakdowns which not only cost money but also disrupts the city’s grass cutting schedule.

This investment means the Council can purchase products which provide a better quality cut of grass areas including the many grassed banks.