Countrywide Grounds Maintenance has won a four-year flexible grass-cutting contract with the Vale of Glamorgan Council to help reduce its costs.
The contract, which began six weeks ago, entails grass cutting in areas such as parks, sports fields and schools continuing to be undertaken by council staff on a more frequent, 10-day cycle.
This agreement allows the number of cuts to be reduced in future years so that it can be tailored to reflect ongoing budget challenges. Grass cutting of verges and small areas of open land will take place nine times this year, with the council saving £100,000 on last year's costs, when grass was cut using agency staff.
Miles Punter, Vale of Glamorgan Council director for environment and housing services, said: "At a time of decreasing budgets and increased financial pressures, we must be especially prudent in our approach to providing non-statutory council services. Through a successful external procurement process we have managed to maintain the urban grass-cutting service at a level similar to that of last year.
"However, with increasing demands for the council's statutory services such as education, social care and highways, continuing to deliver non-statutory services like grass cutting to the standards that the public expects is becoming more and more difficult. This contract with Countrywide recognises that and allows cutting frequencies to be reduced in future years to reflect the budget demands."