Cemetery grass cutting
Case reference FOI2026/00862
Received 31 May 2026
Published 3 June 2026
Request
Please can you provide me with the details of the current contract for the maintenance of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery. In particular I would like the specific details of the agreed grass cutting regime - such as frequency or grass height to be maintained, and a list of the sections of the cemetery where it has been agreed that the grass should be cut on an annual basis only. I would also like the details of the hedge cutting regime. Please can you also provide details of how the performance of the contractor is audited in relation to these areas, whether the contract has been breached, and if so what the penalties were.
Response
The sections of the cemetery classified as non-meadow areas to be cut 14 times peryear.Sections agreed to leave to meadow are - A Sections (Consecrated) 9,10,11,12,6,4.2,3 - B Sections (Consecrated) 1,3,7,6,5,10,9,8,13,12,11,15 B Sections (NonConsecrated) 1,2,3 - C Sections (Consecrated) 1,2,11,11, 13, 5 - C Sections (NonConsecrated) 3,2,1 - These will receive one cut per year.Hedges are cut once per year to avoid nesting season (March - August) outlined in thewildlife and countryside act 1981.The contract is monitored along with other areas of the service with rectification anddefault penalties applied for non-performance.
Documents
This is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.