Cut back and report overgrown foliage
Sight Loss Councils and Thomas Pocklington Trust are reminding everyone about the importance of cutting back and reporting overgrown bushes, trees and foliage. This includes homeowners, local councils and neighbours.
Overgrown foliage in urban areas forces blind and partially sighted people to step onto the road, risking injury. This can reduce blind and partially sighted people’s confidence to travel independently and safely to get to work, see friends, and live full and independent lives. With an anticipated longer growing season this year, it’s more important than ever to stay proactive.
Guidance to cut it back
Local councils are legally required to address reports of overgrown foliage, and we have published some guidance on their responsibilities. To encourage individuals to report these issues and individuals to cut back their own, SLCs created a range of resources. This includes videos, online guidance, and recommendations on the best times to trim foliage while minimising the impact on local wildlife. We will use these resources again for Cut it Back 2.0 to continue raising awareness and support.
Sight Loss Councils first initiated the Cut It Back campaign in August 2024. This was in response to feedback from 75% of blind and partially sighted individuals telling us that overhanging branches, overgrown hedges, and vegetation pose significant obstacles and safety hazards (Listening Month, 2022).
This year, we are expanding our social media campaign even further. Soon, campaigners will be able to download social media graphics, posts, and suggested wording to share on their own profiles. This will help everyone to reach an even wider audience.
As we ramp up our efforts, we will provide templates and accessible methods for contacting local councils to report overgrown foliage. This will help raise awareness and make a significant impact.
We invite and encourage wider participation this year to ensure our streets remain safe and accessible for everyone.
London Sight Loss Council volunteer member and London resident Nikki, who is registered blind, explained:
“I would urge everyone to get involved in our cut it back campaign. Not having safe and accessible streets means I am unable to access the world independently.
“It can be extremely frightening to come across overgrown bushes, which sometimes covers the pavement causing me to end up in the road, praying that a car will see me. It can also be painful and disorientating to be hit in the face by overgrown vegetation.
“Everyone should be able to pop to the local shop free and independently and something so simple can be life changing for us.”
Learn more about the Cut It Back campaign and how to get involved
This video created by Sight Loss Council volunteers shows a man using a white cane and walking along the pavement being hit in the face by some vegetation on the left side of the screen. The right side of the screen shows the pavement from his perspective. It is one of our series of Cut It Back videos forming part of our wider campaign.
Publication date: 18 March 2025