The Landscape Group has been working in partnership with Wiltshire Council (formerly West Wiltshire) since 2000, having signed an original 5 year contract that has both been extended and re-awarded since.
In 2010, the scope of works was increased to include a significant proportion of the schools and other education sites. Working with parish councils and other public sector organisations across Wiltshire also ensures our resource levels are high, our overheads are kept low and our services are cost efficient.
Responsibility for the contract was assigned to a dedicated management team, led by staff with over ten years’ experience in the delivery of services to the region. Our team’s area-specific experience has proven to be beneficial in growing client relationships, as well as providing an in depth knowledge of the county that can be inherited by new staff. We have continued to invest in equipment throughout the life of the contract, ensuring only the most modern and efficient machinery is utilised, and that we can adapt to changes within the contract.
Services delivered across Wiltshire include grass cutting; planted area maintenance; cemeteries management; sports pitch management; hard surface weed control; litter and leaf collection; play
Wiltshire Council, 2007 - 2012 - £2.4 million
area inspection and maintenance; kiosk management; street cleansing; and mechanical sweeping.
We are committed to improving the delivery and diversification of our services, and whilst in the past arboricultural works were delivered on an ad-hoc basis requiring teams from elsewhere in the company, we now have an established contract-based tree team. For Wiltshire Council this has allowed us to grow our client base to accommodate works from not only the council, but also other independent clients including consultancy firms, housing associations and educational sites.
The successful coordination of the Wiltshire contract relies on close partnership and regular dialogue with the client and other stakeholders. Managers are in close contact with the council’s nominated representatives, and all decisions are made to ensure a flexible service. For a direct focus on service delivery, the Assistant Operations Director, Danny Mitchell, is based within the Wiltshire contract. Coordination of our works with other service providers in the area is also key to the successful delivery of this contract. Examples include the picking of litter and post rural flail cutting, as well as street sweeping at the time of gully pot emptying.
We are dedicated to achieving the
highest standard of maintenance across Wiltshire’s parks, streets and open spaces, and have assisted in significantly reducing litter by taking complete ownership of the area. Our biggest achievements have been in street cleansing, and we were recognised for this shortly after the contract commenced. In 2009 the District was only one of twelve councils to become a 5-star winner at the Clean Britain awards.
We work hard to address the environmental impacts of our operations across all of our contracts. An example of this on our Wiltshire contract is our green waste separation process. We have installed several composting bays at the depot to allow sufficient space for composting through a turning process. The excess green material that cannot be processed is managed through a specialist local company.
To deliver the services effectively and efficiently in Wiltshire, we utilise our bespoke online works programming system. Through the use of PDAs, works can be recorded as complete. The authority has a direct link to these records and can interrogate what works have been completed or when works are due. Vigorous monitoring of the contract is an important factor in ensuring the service is delivered successfully and that value for money is maintained.
