Daren Spring presented the report and stated that Thurrock’s public land and open spaces should enrich the quality of resident’s lives, have a positive environmental impact and contribute towards a healthy lifestyle. The Public Land Maintenance Strategy set out guidelines as to how we would change some of the current delivery methods to reduce cost, help improve and maintain our public land in the future.

Councillor Redsell thanked Daren Spring for the report and stated although she was not against anything in the report she did not want to see wild flowers planted everywhere in the borough and that more work should be undertaken on roundabouts in the borough. Daren Spring confirmed roundabouts would be covered by the strategy and that going forward this would be a new strategy where nothing on this scale had been carried out before. That each individual location would be looked at in isolation to assess what needed to be carried out.

Councillor Thandi referred to the example photo in the report of the grass being cut alongside the wildflower and meadow planting and stated this did not look good and residents may think this was an overgrown area and that the Council were not doing their job of cutting the grass. Daren Spring stated this could be seen as a challenge but could also be seen as areas made to look good and the Council were looking to do something different. The importance would be to get the communication element of this strategy right.

Councillor Liddiard also stated he was not against wild flower meadows but requested that all forums and ward members were consulted and that everyone agreed on what was going to happen. Councillor Liddiard also asked what the frequency of grass cutting would be to which Daren Spring stated that areas would still need to be maintained and weeded and would be based on location and once established would be in full fruition.

Councillor Rigby stated this was a brilliant idea to improve the environment and would like to see this becoming more widespread and should be communicated to residents as a positive to which Councillor Pearce echoed the same comments.

Councillor Pothecary agreed with the general consensus of the committee but agreed that maintenance was important to ensure that areas had not just been left overgrown. Councillor Pothecary had a slight concern on the approach that it could potentially stop the Council from being responsive to ward members and residents and questioned how some flexibility could be incorporated into the strategy to be more responsive. Daren Spring stated there would be a plan for each open space that would look at how each area would need to be maintained. That in the first three years’ work would may be required to remove weeds and cut and maintain areas to ensure that the wild flowers become established. That communication would play a key part to identify these areas and the Council would be sensible in their approach to requests by Councillors.

Councillor Redsell questioned whether the Council were saving money on cricket and bowl club grounds that the Council were no longer maintaining to which Daren Spring stated these groups were more self-managed with external funding available. The Council still offered maintenance at a fee.

Councillor Redsell questioned whether “Thurrock in Bloom” was Thurrock wide to which Daren Spring stated it was.

RESOLVED

That the Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommended to Cabinet the adoption of the Public Land Maintenance Strategy and its recommendations as shown within this report.