Rutland County Council will be putting its Ground Maintenance Services and Forestry Services contracts out to procurement this December with new contracts aiming to commence from January 2024. 

The Council manages over 400,000 Square metres of grass located within the towns, villages, public open spaces and churchyards throughout Rutland. 

It also maintains vast amounts of rural verges requiring different methods of specialist attention. The requirements include grass cutting, maintaining hedges, shrubs and borders and other grounds maintenance tasks typical of a local authority.

 In terms of Forestry, the council manages over 80,000 trees that are situated within rural verges, towns, villages, open spaces and churchyards. A wide range of work is required including, but not limited to, removing epicormic growth (removal of shoots growing from beneath the bark of a tree trunk), crown thinning, vegetation clearances, and tree planting. The most common work undertaken is crown pruning to clear the adjacent footways and carriageways.

The trees managed by Rutland County Council vary greatly in size which can be from 2 metres to over 30 metres in height. 

The Council's Forestry requirements include planned, reactive and specialist arboricultural services, including responding to emergency tree falls.

Rutland County Council's Portfolio Holder for Communities, Environment and Climate Change, Cllr Marc Oxley, said: "We take pride in our beautifully rich and varied townscapes and landscapes in Rutland and it is our priority to ensure that they are maintained for the benefit of our residents, visitors and wildlife.

 "This is a great opportunity for contractors, with each contract lasting at least five years. I would urge all interested applicants to get in touch to find out more before the deadline."

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This procurement is planned to take place via YPO 881 Grounds Maintenance Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Interested parties should email [email protected] or visit www.ypo.co.uk as soon as possible to learn more about the qualification process and timescale to join the DPS in readiness for this procurement. The deadline for applicants is the 31st of October 2022.