Grounds Maintenance

Our Environmental Services team carry out the maintenance of the grass, hedges, shrubs and trees in our flat blocks, sheltered housing schemes and hostels. We also employ a specialist contractor for weed killing.

Use the link below to report a problem with any of these services or to request works.

For information about work that is not in a flat block, sheltered housing scheme or hostel please see our landscape and woodlands section.

Grass

Grass cutting starts in March, and continues until November.

All grass is scheduled to be cut 10 times a year; once every 3-4 weeks, depending on the weather. If there is a hot and dry summer, the grass will grow more slowly and fewer cuts will be required. In these instances the teams will undertake other grounds maintenance duties.

Litter should be removed prior to the grass cut taking place. If this is not done, the team will cut the grass, return to site within 24 hours to remove all litter.

Within 3 hours of the grass being cut, a second team follow the mowers to strim around obstacles and to remove as many grass clippings as possible from the adjacent footpaths.

Hedges

Most hedges are cut twice a year; once in the summer and once in the winter.

Litter should be removed at the time of pruning. If this is not done, the team will return to site within five working days to remove all litter.

Some hedges are also treated with weed killer.

Shrubs

Shrub beds in flats, sheltered housing and hostels are:

• Pruned twice a year - once in summer and once in winter
• Weed killed twice a year - following the summer and winter prune
• Litter picked at each visit

Trees

Trees are not pruned on a regular basis but you can make a request online for to be done work to a tree growing on the grounds of one of our flat blocks, sheltered schemes or hostel.

Weed Control

Weeds on hard surfaces are treated up to three times a year. Dead weeds are not removed.

The weed killer used is a contact herbicide, it does not contaminate the soil and water table, nor will it harm wildlife or your pets. It will normally take effect within 7-10 days of being applied. During early spring or autumn it may take a little longer before the effects can be seen.

Weed killer cannot be used when:

• it is too windy - the herbicide could drift on to adjacent land and cause damage
• when there is risk of rain - the herbicide would be washed off before it could be absorbed by the weed.