A major crackdown on weeds and overgrown grass has been unveiled with half a million pounds pumped into the initiative.

Council chiefs have given the green light to £500,000 going into the grounds maintenance services. Grass cutting at a total of 130 sites across the borough will be included under the plans as Dudley Council looks to take on the overgrown weeds and grass.

The sites were previously removed from routine maintenance runs as part of cuts across the council. The new funding will not only cut the overgrown grass but also pay for the ongoing maintenance of these areas.In certain areas the grass will be cut down in stages to avoid large amounts of grass collecting. Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environmental services, said:

“Previous cuts to this service are starting to have a very noticeable effect on our borough and we wanted to do something about it. Cuts that have been made to these vital Green Care services over the past few years are Labour cuts not Government cuts as the Government only provide us with the money and don't tell us how to spend it.

"Overgrown grass and weeds that have become established and unsightly over the past two years makes the borough look untidy. We have always believed in maintaining front line services and making the Council work more efficiently.

"Clearly that is not acceptable to me or people who live, visit, and work in the borough. I hope by reversing these cuts it will give the people a pride in the area they live once again."

Council chiefs have identified £350,000 worth of funding per year which will be reinvested in green care services, which also includes litter collection in parks and open spaces, shrub bed maintenance and public rights of way maintenance. There will also be a £150,000 one-off funding package to kick start the clean-ups in specific areas this year.