Who owns and manages the verges?
You will need to find out who owns and manages your area's verges before you can consider any kind of management plan or changes. Oxfordshire County Council's highways department generally own verges on A roads and most B roads, District Councils will own verges on low-speed roads and housing estates, Parish Councils will own some around footpaths in villages, and National Highways manage verges around motorways. You need to know who both owns them and who cuts them. i.e. who pays for what to happen.
Ownership isn’t the same as management and it’s constantly everchanging as to who does what. This is not a streamlined process and probably the hardest bit of verge management, so don’t lose heart!
Your first point of call is Oxfordshire County Council, using these websites to help: .
Map of streets we maintain | Oxfordshire County Council Highway searches | Oxfordshire County Council.
You can use their Highway Register and Search to find out who owns the verges, or request a highways search for a fee.
Some verges on housing estates and within towns are managed by the District Councils, and others will be managed by the area’s Town or Parish Council. Contact these local authorities to check if they own or manage the verge by contacting their customer service team or clerk.
Small tracks / around housing estates can even be privately owned e.g. residents / estate owners.
If you want to either:
- Request to manage a verge and remove it from OCC's contractor mowing regime
- Register a new Road Verge Nature Reserve
Please follow the link and fill out the form on Oxfordshire County Council's website: Road verge management form
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