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Response by the Cabinet Member: Thank you for your question. Firstly, I fully appreciate the concerns that residents have following the recent wildfires across Powys and particularly the incident at Trehafren Hill. Public safety is, and will remain, the Council's primary consideration. The Council currently manages urban grass verges and amenity grassland through a planned maintenance regime which includes safety cutting during the growing season and wider cuts later in the year. This approach seeks to balance a number of considerations, including highway safety, public amenity, financial resources, and the Council's statutory duties to maintain and enhance biodiversity. The maintenance specifications also provide flexibility for additional intervention where local circumstances require it. In response to your specific questions: 1. What is PCC policy to deal with very dry grass that has been left to grow high and presents a fire risk? The Council does not currently have a standalone wildfire grass management policy. Grassland management is undertaken through existing highways, grounds maintenance and land management arrangements, supported by the Council's wider risk management framework. 2. What is PCC policy for dry grass near housing, schools and care settings? Whilst there is no separate wildfire policy, officers can review locations where specific risks are identified, particularly where there is a concern relating to public safety, vulnerable facilities or critical infrastructure. Any intervention must be considered alongside biodiversity and environmental obligations. 3. Does PCC have a risk mitigation programme in place? The Council operates a corporate risk management framework through which emerging risks are assessed and managed. In relation to the recent wildfire incidents, Emergency Planning officers have been actively engaged in multi-agency response arrangements alongside partner agencies. 4. How is that plan invoked? Where a significant risk is identified, the Council's established risk management and emergency planning processes can be activated, working with relevant services and external partners as appropriate. 5. Can cut barriers be introduced? This is a measure that officers can examine as part of the ongoing review of grassland maintenance practices and the forthcoming re-procurement of the grass-cutting contract. Any changes would need to be evidence-led, proportionate to the risk, operationally deliverable and financially sustainable. 6. Does PCC work with the Fire Service on wildfire risk? Yes. During the recent wildfire incidents, Powys County Council has been working closely with the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and other partner agencies through multi-agency response arrangements, supporting road closures, communications and incident management. We will continue to engage with the Fire Service and seek their professional advice in developing any future approach to wildfire risk on Council-managed land. The recent wildfires have understandably prompted questions about whether the balance between nature recovery and wildfire resilience remains appropriate. Officers will undertake a lessons learned exercise from this summer's incidents and will consider whether any amendments to grassland management practices are necessary ahead of the next grass-cutting programme. Any future changes will need to balance public safety, biodiversity obligations, operational practicality and affordability.
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