Grounds maintenance
Our grounds maintenance service helps keep communal outdoor areas clean, safe and well maintained. Find out what work we carry out, where we provide the service and how weather can affect schedules.
Grounds maintenance
We want you to feel proud of where you live.
Our grounds maintenance service helps keep communal outdoor areas clean, safe and well maintained throughout the year.
Where we provide this service
Our in-house Grounds Maintenance team looks after estates in:
- North Tyneside
- Newcastle
- Gateshead
- Sunderland
- Durham
In Northumberland, grounds maintenance is carried out by our partner, Northumberland County Council.
All work is carried out to a clear service standard and schedule. This may change depending on the season, weather and ground conditions.
What you can expect
We provide a regular programme of maintenance to help keep shared outdoor spaces tidy, safe and enjoyable.
Looking after your communal grounds
- cut the grass 14 times, weather permitting
- prune shrubs where needed to keep paths and entrances clear
- maintain shared outdoor areas
If we find nesting birds, we will stop working on the affected shrubs to avoid disturbing them. We will return once the nesting season has ended, usually in September.
Areas we cover
- Team one: Houghton-le-Spring, Spennymoor, Sunderland, Hartlepool and Peterlee
- Team two: Durham, Chester-le-Street, Brandon, Barnard Castle and Bishop Auckland
- Team three: Gateshead, Hexham, Stanley, Crook, Willington, Ferryhill and Shildon
- Team four: Newcastle, Matfen, Dudley, Wallsend and North Shields
Grass cutting usually takes place between April and October.
During this season, communal grassed areas can receive up to 14 visits. This helps keep them neat, healthy and well maintained.
At our Retirement Living and supported schemes, we provide a cut and collect service. This means grass cuttings are collected after the grass has been cut.
We edge around green spaces, borders, trees and buildings.
This helps create a clean, tidy and well-defined finish.
We prune and maintain hedges and shrubs to help keep areas neat and safe.
We also cut them back where needed to help keep paths clear and improve visibility.
Please note that hedge cutting may be restricted between April and October if nesting birds are present. This is in line with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
We regularly inspect hard surfaces and planted areas.
Where needed, we use targeted weed treatments to help keep communal areas tidy.
We carry out routine checks of communal areas.
This includes removing litter from communal paths, grassed areas and shrub beds.
We aim to complete work as planned, but poor weather can sometimes cause delays.
Heavy rain can leave grassed areas waterlogged. Cutting grass when the ground is too wet can:
- damage the grass
- leave deep ruts from machinery
- affect the long-term condition of green spaces
Before starting work, our team will check the ground conditions. If it is too wet, grass cutting may be delayed until it is safe to continue.
Where possible, we will still make use of the visit by carrying out other tasks, such as:
- litter picking
- weed control
- general tidying
Trees near your home
Trees are an important part of our neighbourhoods. They support wildlife and help make shared outdoor spaces greener and more enjoyable.
We look after trees responsibly, but we will not normally prune or remove a tree simply because it causes one of the issues below.
We will not normally prune or remove a tree because it is reducing daylight to a home or shading solar panels.
If the problem is caused by a tall hedge made up mainly of evergreen or semi-evergreen trees or shrubs, please contact us. We will assess it and let you know whether any action is needed.
We will not prune or remove a tree because it is affecting TV or satellite reception.
Moving your aerial or satellite dish, or installing a signal booster, may improve your reception. We will not cover the costs associated with relocating a TV aerial or satellite dish.
We will not remove trees that are causing interference with telephone wires. Wires can often pass through trees without causing a problem.
If your telephone service is affected, please contact your service provider. They can check the line and advise you on the options available.
Leaves, flowers, seed pods, fruit, pollen, and sap are natural parts of a tree’s life cycle.
We will not prune or remove a tree because of bird droppings.
Bird droppings can be a seasonal nuisance, but they are not a reason for us to carry out tree work. Wild birds and active nests are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Please note that other tree maintenance work may need to be delayed if birds are nesting.
Our commitment
We are committed to:
- keeping neighbourhoods clean and well maintained
- delivering services safely and responsibly
- protecting wildlife and green spaces
- providing a reliable and consistent service
