When Andrea Roberts looks out over the Llandudno street she has lived on for nearly 54 years, her heart sinks. “I’ve never seen my neighbourhood look as neglected and run down as it does now,” she says. “It’s horrible. The whole of Lon Cymru looks like a post-apocalyptic movie.”
This sentiment is echoed across North Wales. Complaints about the state of public spaces are nothing new, but they seem to have gained momentum this summer. Weeds have become public enemy number one.
Municipalities are feeling the pinch. Budgets have been slashed and cuts are necessary, but community pride is hard to come by: in some places, it feels like it’s being eroded by weeds, so high-altitude drivers can’t see out of intersections.
LEARN MORE: In defence of North Wales, town named UK’s worst seaside resort
LEARN MORE: Outrage over ‘shameful’ parking charges at Zip World site where locals come for a cup of tea
Social media has been awash with frustration at the state of council pavements and flowerbeds from Beaumaris to Colwyn Bay. Wrexham residents complain of living in a “jungle”. In Rhyl, residents bemoan the “dilapidated” bus station shelters, where rose beds are littered with rubbish and “choked by weeds”. “It’s so depressing to wait for a bus now,” said one passenger.
There are complaints everywhere about overgrown kerbs and sidewalks. Uncut trees clutter the streets and drains are blocked by organic debris. Uncut hedgerows riddled with brambles force people off the sidewalks and onto the roads. “It’s a nightmare trying to get across with a pram,” one Denbigh mum wrote online. “I can’t see anything when I go out.”
Particularly frustrating is the plant debris left to rot after lawns are mown. The “No Mow May” program is often criticized as a cost-cutting measure disguised as a conservation initiative.
When Wrexham councillor Jon Jolley complained last month that weeds had become a “big problem” in the Smithfield area, he was told that the council’s street patrol teams had been prevented from using their quad bikes to get around. As the work has intensified, the weeds have taken advantage. The local authority has promised Councillor Jolley swift action.
Yet one Wrexham resident detected a general sense of neglect in the town. “There is a general sense that we can no longer afford to maintain the town, like an aristocrat living in a crumbling country house hoping the National Trust will take care of it,” he said. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
The debate gained momentum this week with a social media post decrying a sense of neglect in Llandudno. In a prestigious seaside resort known for its pristine seafront, photos of weedy pavements, unmown verges and savannah-like playgrounds struck a chord. The post was titled “I’ve never seen a town so neglected.”
Many agree. “It all looks so neglected,” said one resident. “It seems like there’s no pride anywhere.” Another joked: “You should see Gwydyr Road. There are zebras living in the undergrowth.” In reality, it was contented goats who feasted on the treasure.
Some argued for individual responsibility. “If everyone got out their idle hoe and worked for 30 minutes it would make a difference to their area,” said one Penmaenmawr resident. Others, distressed by the ever-increasing council tax, insisted it was “the council’s job”.
Llandudno has several active volunteer groups who foster community spirit by keeping the town as clean as possible. Conwy Council has its detractors, but when it comes to seaside developments, few do better: this week, RNLI Llandudno shared an aerial photo of a beautiful flowerbed with 6,500 plants – they had been “meticulously” arranged to commemorate the charity’s 200th anniversary.
It’s a far cry from the beehive areas where people are most unhappy. Andrea Davies runs a small horse farm with her sister and has lived in Lon Cymru all her life. She points to a nearby grassy playground where the paths have all but disappeared. “I can’t walk on the grass with my crutches, it’s so long and overgrown,” she sighs.
Behind her house is an alley that serves as an emergency exit in case of fire. It is so clogged with brambles and climbing plants that it is practically impassable. Last month, her sister reported it to the municipality: she is still waiting for it to be cleared.
The complaints extend beyond their immediate neighbourhood. “Nothing is as it should be!” said Andrea, who works in hospitality. “The Links roundabout (on the A470 Conway Road into the town) is so overgrown – it’s not a good first impression for tourists coming into Llandudno.”
“The central reservations on the dual carriageway are just as bad. They also have yellow ragwort growing there – it’s horrible! We have horses and ragwort is extremely toxic to them. The council don’t seem to care too much because it’s everywhere. It drives me crazy!”
Not all grassland is the responsibility of the local council. Some, in residential areas, are maintained by housing associations or private landowners. Major roads such as the A55 and A470 are under the control of the Welsh Government’s North and Mid Wales Main Roads Agency.
On its own land, Conwy Council mows the grass in parks, gardens, verges, central reservations and sightlines at junctions. In total, this is an area covering over 420 hectares (4.2 million square metres). Sign up to the North Wales Live newsletter delivered twice daily to your inbox
The council has designated areas for biodiversity. These areas are managed as ‘meadows’, where the grass grows long in the spring and summer. A spokesperson said: ‘We then cut the grass after the flowers have set seed in late summer. Some borders are home to rare or endangered plant or animal species and here the grass cutting is adapted accordingly.’
“We regularly mow the lawns in playgrounds, most open spaces in parks, urban verges, roundabouts and residential areas. We also mow these areas eight times a year.”
Some believe local governments are confused about whether to be flexible or flexible when it comes to lawns: Municipalities want areas that are good for pollinators, but much of their existing equipment is designed for lawns. “You can’t mow a hayfield with a lawnmower,” one person noted online.
Moreover, many advocates favour a more relaxed approach that does not raze grassy areas or encourage monocultures. If left to seed, grassy borders can become flower borders over time. “It’s better for pollinators and for nature in general,” said one Wrexham resident. “And it’s cheaper too.”
Local authorities across Britain are under pressure to reduce their use of weedkillers. Some, such as Denbighshire council – labelled a “moderately high volume user” by advocacy group Wild Justice in 2021 – have reviewed their herbicide use.
This year, to cut costs, Conwy Council has halved its weedkiller allocations. A spokesperson said: “Our scheduled weedkiller application has already begun on public roads and pavements across the county.
“For maximum effectiveness, these works are carried out during a period of drier weather and should be completed within four weeks. Effects are visible within 14 to 21 days following application.
“Previously, this work was carried out twice a year, in June/July and again in the autumn. As part of the budget discussions earlier this year, the Council decided to reduce the weeding to one annual application of herbicide in order to achieve budgetary savings.
“Like all councils, Conwy County Borough Council must identify every opportunity to use its money more effectively to reduce costs in order to comply with our legal obligation to balance budgets. Unfortunately, this may result in a reduction in the level of services provided.”
Locals might argue that the consequences of this situation have become evident this summer. But there is another explanation that seems just as plausible, thanks to the British climate. One Llandudno resident said: “I think it’s the rain making the plants grow more than usual, that’s all.”
Find out what’s happening near you