Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director (Resident Services and Climate Change)

The Chair of the Grounds Maintenance Scrutiny Task & Finish Panel introduced a report outlining eleven recommendations for Cabinet to consider.

Continental Landscapes Limited (CLL) operate the grounds maintenance contract for the Council. This involves grass cutting, hedge cutting, maintenance of seasonal beds and shrubs, weed treatment and leaf clearance. The grass cutting season during the summer of 2024 proved challenging due to the weather pattern, which was also experienced across the country.  CLL were invited to meet with cabinet during the summer to discuss the issues and what improvements could be made. This resulted in many proposed improvements for the grass cutting season for 2025 which were agreed by Cabinet members, and the Executive Member for Environment in subsequent meetings with CLL. The proposed improvements have also been endorsed as recommendations by the task and finish group.

During the discussion the following points were raised:

• A member asked if there was a particular order for the seven zones that move around as he envisaged that people whose zone is number seven will start complaining.
• The Chair of the Task & Finish Group responded saying that it was in planning at the moment. The whole council area will be split into seven zones, and they cannot move on to the next zone until the one being worked on has been signed off by council officers and the supervisors of CLL. The plan is to publish the schedule on the website.
• With regards the Wildflower areas, it was suggested a list is circulated to all councillors so they can suggest other areas to be considered. It is also a good idea to ensure these areas are well signposted. Another member suggested we need to choose area that will not impact on the highway.
• With regards garden maintenance, a member asked if the council could send residents a letter asking them to cut their hedge where it becomes a problem overgrowing the path.
• The Executive Director (Resident Services & Climate Change) responded that where complaints of overgrown hedges causing issues have been received, we will write to the owner and our own tenants and if it is serious we can take enforcement action.
• A member asked if there is an existing protocol that permits them to cut their grass or is it only on receiving a complaint.
• The Executive Director (Resident Services & Climate Change) responded that there’s no legal requirement or protocol for any tenant or owner to cut their grass / hedge at any particular frequency but if a complaint is received and people cannot walk safely on the path then we start with a letter and it can be followed up with enforcement. We would not have the ability to set that as a protocol across the borough, there would be no legal mechanism to do that.
• A member raised the issue of complaints received regarding trees that we have a contract with County to cut. She asked if County could be contacted and asked for extra money as they trees need cutting back more often
• A member raised the issue of Leylandii hedges overrunning pavements and the recommendation being a narrow amount needed to leave for the path width. With the increase in mobility scooters and prams it must be a very outdated recommendation.
• A member asked if the issue of uncut lawns is linked into environmental health because lawns not cut have a tendency to attract undesirable wildlife that then have a tendency to spread to neighbour’s properties.
• The Executive Director (Resident Services & Climate Change) responded there are times we get complaints about untidy gardens and there may well be pest problems as well so environment will get involved.

RESOLVED

Members noted the contents of the report and recommended to Cabinet that:

(A)       The new approach to the scheduling of grass cutting (waves/zones) for March 2025.

(B)       To reduce grass cut height to 25mm and address biodiversity with further wildflower areas.

(C)       To commence the first grass cut earlier in season (if possible)

(D)       To acknowledge CLL’s investment into the contract with the purchase of 8 new mowers

(E)       For officers to consult with the Executive Cabinet Member for Environment to consider new KPIs for quality in the contract

(F)       The Communications Plan

(G)       To update the website content

(H)       Scheduling of road sweeping

(I)         Hard cut back of shrubs

(J)        Optimise mechanisms for exploration of scrutiny of the environment portfolio            

(K)       To introduce further areas of wildflower areas (with signage)