Cabinet to discuss grounds maintenance contract

Hastings Borough Council's Cabinet is due to discuss bringing grounds maintenance back in-house at its meeting on Monday 3 October.

The council currently uses a contractor to deliver grounds maintenance services but is proposing to bring them back in-house. By bringing the management of grounds maintenance back in-house, the council will have more control over the work done by the team and will be able to be more flexible about the level of work than a fixed, outsourced contract.

Cllr Julia Hilton (Green), lead councillor for climate change and natural environment, said: "We want to bring this service back in-house so we can have a better control on the work being done, and the level of service we receive. We will also be better able to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies, increase community engagement and address relevant skills and education gaps as well as having the flexibility to think differently on how we want to manage our green spaces into the future."

Reviews of the current contract and work done to look at potentially extending the current contract has shown that costs have risen dramatically to levels that are unaffordable for the council.

The proposal for an in-house service would cover the council's statutory and health and safety responsibilities, including grave digging, grass cutting, litter picking and bin emptying. There will also be the opportunity to look at the current Hastings Direct Service Operation and make potential efficiencies and improve the resilience of both services to help reduce the need for agency staff.

An in-house service would also allow the council to make greater use of community support and to work with expert organisations including Groundwork and Plumpton College to support future careers in ground maintenance and similar subjects. This would be alongside building and developing in-house skills and local knowledge of our green spaces, leading towards us achieving our vision of Hastings as a Garden Town.

You can watch the discussion online from 6pm on Monday 3 October. You can read the agenda for the meeting.