THE grass cutting debate which has divided opinion between the city’s two parish councils looks set to rumble on as one parish council has now decided it likes long grass.

St Peter’s Parish Council has chosen not to spend extra money cutting the grass following Worcester City Council budget cuts.

It comes just weeks after Warndon Parish Council agreed to pay £6,000 for the city council to employ a full-time worker to cut grass for the rest of the summer.

Ross MacFarlane, chairman of St Peter’s Parish Council, said at its monthly meeting on Monday: “We have had no complaints (about grass cutting) therefore I do not see the need to contribute.

“I say we wait and see how it goes.”

As previously reported in your Worcester News, the city council has been forced to only cut 1.5 metres in from the footpaths and leave the rest to grow after its cleaner and greener department was hit by a £830,000 cut from its £3.5 million budget.

In Warndon Villages, the change led to complaints from residents and parish councillors labelling it “disgraceful” and “jungle-like.”

Their decision to pay for a full-time worker led to some animosity at St Peters who have lost a warden to Warndon Villages.

“If we are not getting two days of two wardens then what will we get instead?” said Mr MacFarlane.

Ian Yates responded: “This is an interim arrangement until September – we had to respond quickly.”

He added: “Inquiries about grass cutting are considerably less than we thought.

“I think broadly speaking there is an acceptance of the system and the regimes and there have been some nice examples of flowers being found in the grass.”

The full-time worker in Warndon began work last month and will continue until the end of September.