We’re now halfway through the grass cutting season, so we want to update you on our progress in making improvements to the service our tenants receive. We know last year’s grounds maintenance service didn’t meet expectations, and we really appreciate our tenants' patience as we’ve worked to improve things this year.

What we did

We had honest conversations both internally and with our partner John O'Conner (at Director level) to understand the issues, and to agree a way forward that would result in an outcome where the service would be delivered as required.

The subsequent Action Plan was successfully delivered, and this included working with the teams on site delivering the service, so they better understood our standards.

We've changed who attends the monthly review meetings, and this has resulted in more productive outcomes.

One of the reasons for the below-par performance in the previous year was that the winter maintenance programme was not being delivered on time. For the 2024/25 programme, there was additional focus which ensured that our partner was able to deliver this on time.

What you can expect

Here’s a quick reminder of the standards we commit to:

At all times we should meet Grade B:

  • shrub beds and hedges are well maintained, although may need minor attention
  • Grass is in need of some minor attention but likely to be restored with routine maintenance
  • The area is generally free of weeds. Any remaining weeds will be dealt with by seasonal maintenance.

Following a visit we should meet Grade A:

  • The grass has been recently cut and grass cuttings have been spread out evenly across the grassed areas or lawns
  • Shrubs and hedges are clearly well maintained, cut back and attractive to the eye
  • The area is completely free of weeds; they have been killed and dead weeds removed.

You can read more about our standards and see examples on our Grounds maintenance page.

Getting ready for next year

We know that early preparation supports us in delivering a good service from spring, and there we be again a focus to ensure that our partner is able to, and does deliver the winter programme as required.

How's it going so far?

If you’ve noticed improvements - or if there’s something not quite right - we’d love to hear from you. Your feedback helps us keep improving.