SINN Féin Councillor Joe Duffy has said that he is working with the Department for Infrastructure and Belfast City Council to ensure that grass verges in the Lagmore area are cut to improve the line of sight for drivers.

"Verges across Lagmore need cut," he said. "Council and the Department are short-staffed at the moment but we have been told that a contractor has been assigned. However, we believe that they have missed Lagmore from their list as they have cut nearby areas including Lenadoon and Glengoland.

"Lagmore appears to have been missed and we are taking calls daily from residents. I have been in contact with DFI to find out who the contractor is and where exactly we are in terms of getting them cut. 

"In the meantime, myself and Danny Baker will be trimming back the hedging around Lagmore Avenue and the entrance to Mount Eagles to improve the line of sight for drivers," he said.

A Department for Infrastructure (DfI) spokesperson told the Andersonstown News that works were planned across Belfast, including Lagmore, but that the public should be aware of new nature-friendly policies, in line with all-Ireland objectives, which allow grass to grow on verges — as long as they don't impede the line of sight of motorists. 

“The primary benefit associated with grass cutting carried out by the Department is safety related and involves ensuring that visibility splays and sightlines at road bends and public road junctions are kept free from obstructions and that grass does not overgrow onto carriageways and footways," said a Department for Infrastructure spokesperson. 

"To do this, roadside verges and sightlines are normally cut twice in the period between April and October, with sightlines at bends and junctions being cut more frequently as required to ensure public safety is not compromised. Grass cutting has commenced in the Belfast City Council area and all grass verges which are maintained by DfI in the council area are programmed to be completed by the end of July.

"The Department has been engaged in the ‘Don’t Mow Let It Grow’ pilot project in support of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, which contains a specific action ‘to promote pollinator-friendly management of the national road network in NI’."

Details of this project can be found on the don't let it grow website.

The public can report safety issues regarding road side verges on the NI Direct website.