Parks maintenance

We maintain all public parks and open spaces in the borough. We also look after:

  • Allotments

  • Civic building grounds

  • Highway trees and verges

  • Pewit Golf Course, Ilkeston

  • Public Cemeteries & selected closed churchyards*

  • Traffic islands

    *Cotmanhay Churchyard, St Lawrence's, Long Eaton; St Mary's, Ilkeston; St Wilfrids, West Hallam. All saints’, Sawley; St Chad’s, Draycott & Church Wilne.

 This maintenance work consists of:

  • Grass cutting

  • Weed control

  • Tree pruning

  • Shrub/Rose bed maintenance

  • Flower bed design and planting

  • Playground safety inspection and maintenance

  • Sports pitch maintenance (football, rugby, cricket, bowls and golf).

The amount of maintenance an area receives is very dependent on the type of landscape it is.

Green Space Service Standards

Our Green Space service maintains and improves the natural environment within Erewash, with due regard to the need to manage the environment in a sustainable way and to ensure at all times the health and safety of facility users and visitors. The maintenance of the natural environment contributes significantly to the visual attractiveness of Erewash.

It provides and maintains a safe recreational resource for sporting groups, clubs, individuals, events (such as carnivals and fun days) and other users. Implicit in this is the objective of maintaining a high quality of playing facilities, such as football, cricket, golf, bowls and areas well prepared for events and activities.

The service works to protect and expand habitats of importance to nature conservation within the borough. Children’s play areas create a wide range of safe and stimulating play opportunities for the development and growth of all children.

What we are aiming to achieve

In providing a parks service to our customers, we will aim to:

  • Ensure that parks and areas of open space are safe, clean and maintained throughout the year

  • Provide a comprehensive range of sports and recreational facilities that are well maintained and accessible to all

  • Keep equipment and facilities maintained to a ‘fit for purpose’ standard

  • Undertake long-term planning to ensure the sustainable management of public green space and outdoor recreation facilities in accordance with the needs and aspirations of the community

  • Meet the needs of those affected by bereavement at a sensitive time and to deliver the principles set out in Charter for the Bereaved 2000.

What our customers can expect

Cleanliness and litter

Waste and litter removal within parks is in compliance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Code of Practice. If the level of cleanliness in a particular park falls below this specified standard, it will be cleansed again as soon as possible.

Litter and dog bins will be emptied before they overflow.

Graffiti will be removed within seven days, though any racist and other offensive graffiti will be removed within 24 hours.

Safety and anti-social behaviour

We will target problem areas within parks, and work with police and community agencies to resolve issues.

Play areas and playground inspections

All recently upgraded play areas comply with the latest play area safety standards.

All play areas are inspected at least once a week, with the larger park play areas inspected more frequently. A bi-annual independent inspection is also carried out to all play areas, skate parks. All new play sites have a post-installation inspection for safety and Equality Act 2010 compliance.

We will respond to 90 per cent of reports of vandalism and dangerous items in play areas within two working days.

Grounds maintenance

We will respond to 90 per cent of grass cutting related problems within two working days.

The standards of horticultural maintenance that our customers can expect are:

Grass areas:

  • Grass cutting will be carried out in a safe and professional manner

  • Football pitch areas will be kept between 75mm (max.) and 25mm (min.). Other sports areas have other heights standards dependent upon the sport

  • Any cuttings which fall onto paths will be swept or blown back onto the grass area by the end of that working day

  • Areas planted with drifts of bulbs will be cut around until the bulb foliage has died down Approximately six weeks after flowering.

  • No grass clipping will be collected or boxed, apart from the ornamental grass areas

  • All wild flower meadows will be cut, once the flowers have set seed, usually by mid September depending upon weather conditions.

Planted area:

  • Weeds in rose and shrub beds will be controlled by hand-weeding, mulching and chemical control. Any litter within the planted area will be removed at the time of visit.

  • Shrubs will be pruned in accordance with horticultural standards and encroachment, such as cutting them back off footpaths.

  • Rose and shrub beds will be pruned throughout the year.

  • Dead flower heads and suckers will be removed from rose bushes.

Hedges:

  • Hedges generally will be cut in July to November after the nesting season and any growth should not exceed set standards.

Highway Weed Control:

  • We carry out highway weed control on behalf of Derbyshire County Council. This takes place twice per year in May and September depending on weather conditions.

You can contact us by:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Pride-line : 0115 850 8383 (24 hour confidential hotline).

Complete an online form through your My Erewash account.

For out of hours emergencies please call 0115 907 2244.