Reply - Q32 Responsibility for Grass Margins

To ask the Chief Executive who owns and is responsible for the small green space outside your home? (Green areas between road and footpath)

In general the grass margin which lies between footpath and road forms part of the roadway and is therefore a public area. The ownership can vary though and in some cases property ownership can extend into the middle of the road. In terms of maintenance South Dublin County Council cuts grass in larger parks such as regional parks, neighbourhood parks and local parks as well as on larger open spaces within residential estates. The council does not cut small grass margins in housing estates and their maintenance is the responsibility of the homeowner, where the area of grass margin lies in front of their property.

Where the grass margin or area in question is substantially larger than a standard roadside margin then the Council will generally cut these along with the larger open spaces within an estate. Also where the Council is made aware that a resident is elderly for example and cannot continue to maintain the roadside margin in front of their property then the Council will arrange to maintain those areas once notified of the need. Residents who require assistant of this kind can also have recourse to their local tidy towns or estate environmental group for assistance where such a group is in place. Other arrangements apply in some estates where for example the estate in question has not been taken in charge and in such areas an estate management company needs to be established by the residents and this company will then take on to organise maintenance of the estate including grass cutting.