Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust says its volunteers have been left to clear up the mess in North Meadow on Pound Lane that’s been left behind by Wiltshire Council contractors.

The group of 20 volunteers have had two clean ups and gathered more than 30 wheelbarrows of green waste in the past few months, including leftover grass cuttings.

Kate Nicholls, leader of the landscape group at the preservation trust, said Wiltshire Council should consider the effectiveness of contractor Balfour Beatty, which has been leaving grass cuttings behind – something she believes breaches its contract.

She said: “They agreed to do what they are being paid to do in their contract, which is to cut the grass twice a year and take away the cuttings, which they have failed to do. This September, Balfour Beatty failed to come, but managed to cut it on October 12 but then left the cuttings on the meadow.”

Mrs Nicholls said the leftover cuttings enrich the soil, which is good for the grass, but bad for the growth of wildflowers, counteracting the trust’s work.

With Climate Friendly Bradford and its bio diversity group, the trust had a meeting with Wiltshire Council and Balfour Beatty in February to discuss the condition of North Meadow and it was concluded that more effort would be made in removing the leftover grass.

Mrs Nicholls said: “We would like to work with Wiltshire Council and Balfour Beatty to create a tentative plan of finding people who would put their sheep on the meadow to graze which is what we, at the preservation trust, would ideally like to do.”

A spokesman for Balfour Beatty said: “North Meadow is listed as a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and requires specialist machinery to cut the grass there. Unfortunately the level of river at the moment means it is not possible to ford it with this equipment. As soon as the water recedes we will carry out this work.”