Verge cutting in Shepton Mallet and the surrounding area is due to start next month despite the country potentially still being in lockdown.

During the growing season Somerset County Council carries out a number of environmental maintenance operations to help keep all road users safe.

The aim is to preserve visibility sight lines at junctions and bends, provide a safe area for pedestrians if there is no pavement, and to protect wildlife on roadside verges, where this does not conflict with safety requirements.

Highway verges are cut to a minimum of one metre in width from the road side to provide a safe area for pedestrians, preserve visibility and help the flow of surface water along the road. Visibility sight lines are also cut on bends and near road signs.

Each highway verge, including junctions, will be cut once during this season, except on the A road and B road network where the road verges and junctions are cut twice.

In certain areas, particularly urban housing estates, grass cutting may be carried out by district or parish councils.

The first cut for A and B roads takes place from May 11 to June 7 depending on the rate of growth, and in the Shepton Mallet area verges on the following roads will be cut during this time in this order:

B3139 Kilmersdon to A37

A367 Stratton-on-the-Fosse to A37

B3355 Chilcompton

B3356 junction with the A367 to Chilcompton

A37 Lydford to the A39 junction Rush Hill

A371 Castle Cary to Shepton Mallet

A361 Frome to Glastonbury

A371 Shepton Mallet to Cheddar

Verges on minor roads will be cut between June 8 and August 2 depending on the rate of growth, and in the Shepton Mallet area verges in the following parishes will be cut during this time and in this order:

Pilton

Pylle

East Pennard

North Wootton

Lydford-on-Fosse

Lamyatt

Ditcheat

Ston Easton

Chilcompton

Ashwick

Emborough

Stoke St Michael

Stratton-on-the-Fosse

Binegar

Doulting

Downhead

Cranmore

Evercreech

Milton Clevedon

Shepton Mallet

Batcombe

Upton Noble

Wanstrow

Croscombe

Leigh-on-Mendip

Coleford

Holcombe

The second cut of A and B roads will take place between August 3 and September 30, and will run in the same order as the first cut listed above, after which environmentally-protected sites will be cut.

Verge cutting may be affected by the weather and the dates may change. Work generally takes place during the day from 7am to 7pm with traffic sensitive routes avoided during peak times.

No road closures are necessary, however, given the travelling speed of machinery required to ensure a qood quality cut, minor delays are possible on the smaller lanes.