Decision details

The Director - Housing, Health & Wellbeing presented a report which set out a business case for Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Street Scene Service to deliver the grounds maintenance of Housing Revenue Account (HRA) or housing service land rather than contracting the service to a third party. The Director - Housing, Health & Wellbeing reported that the both the Homes & Communities and Leisure & Environment  Committees had supported the proposal to bring the existing contract to an end and bring the service in-house and were recommending approval to the Policy & Finance Committee.

The report detailed the review of the current service which had been subject to consultation through a tenant survey. Three options were set out in the report: A- no change to the current contract specification; B - changes to the current specification to deliver a higher specification service in line with tenant requests for improvement; and C - adaptation of the current specification to deliver a higher specification service. In respect of staffing all three options required an increase in the current Street Scene staffing levels. The existing contractor, ID Verde, were likely to have a number of staff working on the contract for the whole time, therefore TUPE regulations would apply if the contract was to be awarded to the District Council.

The report set out the estimated 2021/22 revenue costs of extending the current contract and of the three options proposed if the Council were to deliver the service in-house. General fund revenue costs were for the purchase of small grounds maintenance equipment with the purchase of vehicles and larger equipment would be capital expenditure.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)          the termination of the existing grounds maintenance contract be approved with the grounds maintenance service for the Housing Revenue Account to be in sourced and provided through Newark & Sherwood District Council’s  Street Scene; and

(b)          a one off revenue cost to the General Fund of £14,420 (to be funded from reserves) and a capital outlay of £133,600 (funded by borrowing) for Option A be approved.

Reason for Decision

Providing greater efficiencies through the synergies between the existing in-house provision and the requirements for maintaining HRA land; to improve accountability to tenants on the quality and responsive of the grounds maintenance and street scene, giving a consistent service to tenants; and to strengthen our in-house team and secure additional contracts that enable the Council to improve and maintain a ‘Cleaner Safer Greener’ District.