Grass cutting and maintenance of Waverley Borough Council’s green spaces are being brought in-house with the  authority on the verge of approving  £1 million for a new fleet of eco-vehicles.

Councils are required to maintain their green spaces. These include parks, gardens, nature reserves and sports facilities.

Its contract with Krinkels is due to expire in November and the council’s executive decided the best way forward is to run the service itself. 

Senior councillors said it would provide better value for money and ensure a flexible service for residents regardless of how the pending local government reorganisation pans out.

Within the next two years Surrey’s  boroughs, districts and county will be dissolved and  merged in a yet-to-be-decided new layout.

It is the second attempt to bring the contracts in-house after its March 25 decision was rescinded due to a lack of information about the project

Leader of the council, Cllr Paul Follows, said: “Grass will carry on growing while we are a new authority.

“The people who live here will benefit long after Waverley Borough Council does not.”

Cllr Steve Williams, portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, told the reconvened cabinet meeting on Monday, July 7,  the decision followed the unprecedented step of rescinding the original report but  that we was confident in the latest version.

He said: “I believe that it presents a clear and compelling case for bringing our grounds maintenance service in-house.

“It allows for a realistic mobilisation date of November 1 2025, subject to full council approval of the £1m required to equip the new service run by Waverley Borough Council.”

He added: “Waverley is undergoing a shift in how we manage land and assets in particularly as a result of Local Government Reorganisation with the increasing community asset transfers to town and parish councils taking place. This in-sourced service makes absolute sense.

“A contracted out service lacks the agility to adapt to this kind of local variation without triggering change notices, legal complications and cost penalties. 

“An in-house team gives us the flexibility to reconfigure those services and design new operating arrangements in partnership with other local councils quickly and without friction.”

He added that, once Waverley Borough Council is dissolved it would allow it to  “hand over a flexible responsive and accountable model rather than encumbering a new authority with a rigid long-term contract.”