The Department of Infrastructure is holding meetings with local authorities about maintaining standards on jobs previously carried out by the department itself.

In 2014, the DoI delegated certain functions, such as the maintenance of hedges, gullies, rural paths on highways and cleaning to the commissioners.

It’s something the DoI minister Chris Thomas says each authority has been doing to ‘different standards’ in the years since.

As part of the scheme a charter has been made for local authorities to follow.

Mr Thomas says if authorities want higher quality ‘it’ll all come down to budget’.

He added: ‘Officers have stressed that the standards and proposed agreements are for discussion in the New Year, with the aim of subsequent adoption and agreement.’