Our grounds maintenance service is the management of the grass, trees, hedges and shrubs within our communities. It operates from March through to November.
We appointed our new contractor, John O'Conner, in autumn 2022. They have been busy getting to know the area while contending with unusual summer weather and staff shortages. With above-average seasonal rainfall, grass has flourished and slowed down the speed of services. Earlier this year, they carried out a monthly cut in most areas but couldn't reach every location.
However, we're confident grass cutting is now back on track, and we are working with John O'Conner to ensure a more consistent service. In July, 95% of the work was completed on target. In future, we're aiming to provide two cuts every month, weather permitting.
Did you know?
Customers regularly ask why the grass cuttings aren't collected. Keeping footpaths clear is our priority and we always clear clippings after strimming. In other locations, leaving the clippings is much better – they're a natural fertiliser and protect against weeds.
We also often receive customer calls pointing out we've 'missed' a particular area. What isn't always clear to the customer is that the work is still underway! It can take 2-3 days for a job to be completed on large estates, so please keep that in mind.
A staggering 334,817 sqm (approx. 83 acres) of grass is cut by John O'Conner for our customers each month. That's the equivalent of around 42 football pitches! As you can imagine, this is a huge task to coordinate and a little different to the logistics of mowing a typical garden lawn.
When will they visit?
John O'Conner has a dedicated website where you can check when they're due in your area. Due to busy periods and weather conditions, we cannot give exact dates when work will be carried out, but you can use the schedule as a guide.
