A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Council and councillors

Decision details

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

To consider the future provision of the Council's grounds maintenance service.

Decisions:

Report No.35/2019 was received from the Deputy Director of Places.

 

Mr Brown, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Planning, Environment, Property and Finance introduced the report, the purpose of which was to consider the future provision of the Council’s grounds maintenance service.

 

During discussion the following points were noted:

 

·         The Council did not want to renew the current contract as the service had been variable and the Council had received many complaints about it from Parish Councils.

·         Working with Harborough District Council, who would provide the grounds maintenance service as a shared service, would result in cost savings and offer a significantly improved service.

·         There was an option to insert financial penalties in to the new contract; something that the Council did not have with the current contract.

·         Parish Councils would be informed about the new service and reassured by officers that road safety would not be affected by fewer cuts to rural highway verges.

·         Currently, grass on rural highway verges was cut right back to the hedges which was expensive and damaged the ecological habitat.

·         A pilot scheme would be introduced which would assess whether removal of the cuttings from the area that was cut would result in less regrowth and would therefore mean less cutting going forward. 

·         The number of cuts for churchyards was being reduced from 10 cuts per annum to 7 cuts per annum. This would provide a good service but would mean that Parish Councils would have to do extra cuts themselves if they wanted a manicured appearance.

·         Parishes would be encouraged to take on more responsibility for their own grounds maintenance activities.

·         The Council would not be adopting any more maintenance responsibility for open grounds and would be actively looking to pass back the ownership of land where appropriate.

 

DECISION:

 

Cabinet;

 

1.    APPROVED the delegated arrangement for the delivery of the grounds maintenance service provision between March 2019 and March 2022 with the addition of optional extension periods.

 

2.    DELEGATED the finalisation of the associated contract documents to the Deputy Director of Places, subject to consultation with the Portfolio Holder.

 

 

Reasons for the decisions

 

1.    Having Harborough District Council deliver our grounds maintenance service between March 2019 and March 2022 is believed to be the best approach to enable the integration of this service into an integrated environmental services contract from April 2022. This in turn is believed to be the best long-term service delivery option. There would be the addition of optional extension periods to give maximum flexibility.

 

2.    Giving the Deputy Director of Places delegated authority to finalise the associated contract documents, subject to consultation with the Portfolio Holder is appropriate to finalise these details.

 

 

 

Report author: Mr Mark Loran

Publication date: 02/04/2019

Date of decision: 19/02/2019

Decided at meeting: 19/02/2019 - Cabinet

Effective from: 27/02/2019

Accompanying Documents: