Estate management and cleaning service charter and service standards

We will:

• cut the grass regularly between April and November
• keep grass areas litter and rubbish free
• blow grass clippings off pathways
• apply weed killer to grass edges and obstacles to keep grass within grassed areas
• strim grass edges where there is long grass

We will:

• put weed killer on communal paths and other hard surfaces during the growing season to keep them weed free

We will:

• maintain shrub beds during the growing season
• keep shrub beds litter and rubbish free
• prune shrub beds annually

We will:

• cut back boundary hedges regularly
• keep hedge bases clear of litter and weeds

We will:

• carry out tree maintenance on trees in communal areas where required
• keep tree bases free from weeds and growth
• give priority for tree works to dead, damaged, diseased and dying trees

We will carry out regular inspections of flat blocks:

• high rise – five days per week, Monday to Friday and on Bank Holidays
• low rise – fortnightly

• We will carry out regular collections of rubbish
• We will provide suitable and adequate bins for disposal of rubbish
• We will work with residents where there are problems with rubbish collection to make sure that we find a suitable solution to the problems

We will carry out litter picking in the areas around our flat blocks:

• high rise - five days per week, Monday to Friday
• low rise – fortnightly
• We will remove any dog faeces when we litter pick and we will recharge dog owners where this problem persists and we know who they are

• We will remove fly tipped rubbish from our land within two working days of it being reported to us.
• We will take action where we identify people who have fly tipped rubbish on our land. This will include:
  
  • Criminal action though the Magistrates Court resulting in possible fines
  • Tenancy enforcement action against council tenants

• We will make sure that bins are spun regularly at the base of rubbish chutes in blocks. This makes sure there is space for rubbish, i.e. all high rise blocks have rubbish chutes and some low rise blocks
• We will clear blocked rubbish chutes within one working day of them being reported
• We will recharge residents who put large items down rubbish chutes and block them

• We will keep communal areas in flat blocks clear of rubbish and bulky items so that they are safe for residents to use
• We will recharge residents for removal of rubbish and bulky items in communal areas where we know who as left them there

We will remove graffiti in and around our blocks as follows:

• obscene or offensive graffiti – within one working day of it being reported
• other graffiti – within five working days of it being reported

Grit pathways to the blocks and car parks where we can gain access

• We will encourage residents living in our properties to recycle their rubbish wherever possible
• We will provide advice and assistance to residents in flat blocks to help them to recycle their rubbish
  

You must:

• never fly tip rubbish on housing or other Council land – this is a criminal offence that could result in a fine, and also action against your tenancy
• always report any fly tipped rubbish that you see by calling 01582 510333
• where possible provide the council with details of anyone you see fly tipping rubbish, e.g. name, description, address, vehicle registration number etc. by calling 01582 510333

You must:

• always bag your rubbish before you put it in the communal bins
• always make sure that all rubbish bags are tied securely to stop rubbish escaping
• always double bag any rubbish that is particularly smelly or contains rotten food
• only ever put rubbish in the bins provided and never leave it outside the bins
• always report any problems with communal bin stores/areas by calling 01582 510333

You must:

• always bag your rubbish before you put it down the rubbish chute
• always make sure that all rubbish bags are tied securely to stop rubbish escaping
• always double bag any rubbish that is particularly smelly or contains rotten food
• always make sure that all rubbish being put down the rubbish chute is of an appropriate size and does not block the chute
• always report any blocked rubbish chutes as soon as you find them by calling 01582 510333

You must:

• always keep communal areas in flat blocks clear of rubbish and bulky items so that they are safe for residents to use
• always report any issues in the internal communal areas of flats blocks by calling 01582 510333:
  
  • hazardous rubbish
  • graffiti

You should:

• always try and recycle your rubbish
• always contact us if you have any questions about recycling, as our specialist team can advise you, by calling 01582 510333

If you need help in disposing of large items, e.g. furniture, we can help you. Please contact us on 01582 510333 to book a special collection.

We will carry out regular inspections of flat blocks:

• high rise – five days per week, Monday to Friday and on Bank Holidays
• low rise – fortnightly

We will deliver a cleaning service to all communal flat blocks with interior communal areas:

• high rise – visits every day of the week
• low rise – visits once every fortnight
• sheltered housing – visits five days a week, Monday to Friday

For further information and detailed specifications please contact us on 01582 547304.

We will provide an emergency cleaning service out of normal office hours where there have been spillages of bodily fluids or something that causes a serious health and safety risk in the interior communal areas of our flat blocks.
For further information and to report a problem out of hours please call us on 0800 014 7333.

Please keep all communal areas free of furniture, rugs, carpets and other items so that the cleaners can clean properly.
Please clean up any mess that you make in the communal areas, e.g. if you are decorating your flat.
Please report any mess in communal areas that you see to us.

Please only call the emergency out of hours cleaning service if there is a genuine emergency. Where calls are found not be genuine you may be recharged any costs.