April brings a shower of enhanced grounds and cleansing services
An exciting new partnership between Telford & Wrekin Council and leading grounds specialist idverde will see an enhanced, more flexible grounds and cleansing service for residents from 1 April this year.
Under the new contract, regular road sweeping will return to the borough on all roads where a sweeper can operate and litter picking on all estates, parks and green spaces. Footpath sweeping will also be introduced.
Residents should no longer come across an overflowing bin, but if they do spot one and report it, crews will aim to get it emptied within four hours. Reported fly tips will be collected within two working days, street litter cleared by the next working day in most instances, offensive graffiti removed within two hours and weeds sprayed within 10 working days.
Grounds maintenance services will also be improved, with idverde crews doing additional grass cutting in residential areas, up from 12 to 14 times a year. Weed spraying will be done twice yearly with additional spraying when required and there will be a rolling programme to care for trees on streets and in borough woodlands.
Crews will be dedicated to working in local areas so that residents will soon get to know them. They will also work more flexibly to take account of seasonal tasks, with additional resources in summer dedicated to grass cutting and in winter clearing shrub beds and leaves. There will be a dedicated resource in the Town Park and Southwater with extended service hours in the summer, from 8am to 8pm.
Making a difference through closer links with parish and town councils and communities, training opportunities, supporting local schemes and grant funding are other key features of idverde’s community-focussed approach to serving the borough. A Community Development Manager will be appointed to oversee their work with communities.
Cllr Shaun Davies, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, met with idverde’s Sarah Hughes-Clarke to sign the contract today. He said: “We are investing a great deal in our Pride in Our Community programme to create a better borough. Another £50m will be invested by 2022. Working closely with communities to keep our borough cleaner and greener is really important to us and it’s great that idverde also takes a community-focused approach.
“Their up-to-the-minute systems and use of technology will make it easier for us to keep our residents updated on what’s happening in their area. There will be greater efficiencies too. I am delighted that we will soon be working with them.”
Sarah Hughes-Clarke, idverde’s Strategic Development Director, said: “Right from the start of this procurement, idverde was really keen to work with Telford and Wrekin. The fact that the Council had already invested so much in generating community pride was the icing on the cake, and we saw this first-hand at the Telford Community Pride Awards.
“Our service makes a huge difference to the quality of life for Telford residents; we’re all affected by what our environment looks and feels like when we step outside each day. This is a very important new contract for us, and we’re in it for the long-term. We’re so looking forward to getting to know everyone better, and to work with residents, volunteers, community groups, Council officers and elected Members, to further increase ‘pride in our community’ over the next 10 years”.
