Parks Operations Unit
This service undertakes the maintenance of the Borough’s allotments, cemeteries, public conveniences, parks and open spaces. This includes grass cutting, shrub/flower beds, sports pitches, weed control etc.
The Parks Operations Unit is responsible for the maintenance of the Borough’s parks and open spaces including allotments.
The team is split into 3 areas: north, east and west with a central service depot supporting these areas. The teams are managed by Area Team Leaders who report to the Operations Manager.
The Area Team Leaders are responsible for a team of gardeners and maintenance operatives who care for the parks. They ensure that the quality and range of horticultural features such as grass areas, flower and shrub beds, hedges etc. are all maintained appropriately and that standards of cleanliness and health and safety are achieved by regular inspections and litter collections. In addition they take care of the parks sport pitches, ornamental gardens, wildlife areas, playgrounds and cemeteries.
The staff work on rota patterns in order to provide cover during weekends and bank holidays.
Parks Maintenance Programme
Park maintenance is undertaken in accordance with the tasks set out in the maintenance programme. The Parks Operations Unit carry out the day-to-day running and grounds maintenance of the various local parks throughout the Borough. Large parks have dedicated staff who pride themselves in delivering a high standard of horticultural maintenance. Mobile gardening teams regularly visit the smaller parks and open space sites to ensure that the defined standards are maintained.
An overview of the maintenance programme is listed below.
Bedding
All seasonal bedding is changed twice yearly in May and November. Shrub and tree replacements are carried out from November to March every year.
Grass Cutting
Grass is cut every 2-3 weeks subject to weather conditions. Our grass cutting programme commences third week of March and ends last week of October.
Hedges
Hedges are cut to remove the previous year’s growth immediately following the end of the main bird nesting season in July.
Trees
There is a routine programme for all tree maintenance in Parks and Open Spaces. If you have a problem with a specific trees, please report it to the Contact Centre.
Fencing and Paths
The parks fence lines surrounding the park are the responsibility of the Parks Service. The Highway Services Section of the Environmental Services Group maintains the fencing and footpaths on our behalf. Regular inspections are carried out to ensure that our fence line and footpaths are in good order.
An annual survey of all infrastructure, including footpaths, car parks, railings, fences, etc. is conducted by parks staff to identify condition and to ensure that:
• Immediate heath and safety risks are identified.
• Longer-term potential health and safety risks are identified.
• Features are fit for purpose.
• Visual and amenity considerations are accounted for.
Day to day maintenance and cleaning of footpaths and the playground equipment are all part of the duties of the grounds maintenance staff.
Pesticide/ Herbicides/ Insecticides
The Council has a policy of limiting the use of pesticides as far as possible. In terms of grounds maintenance, particular procedures have been written into maintenance regimes to achieve these.
For weed, pest and disease control, the parks will always pursue cultural control practices in the first instance. Chemical treatment is only permitted, when a particular problem is exceptional, or deemed nonviable or impractical by any other methods. Parks seek to reduce the amount of chemical applied in ground maintenance situations year on year.
This is monitored and assessed through the annual returns made to the Local Water Authority.
Lake & Boating Ponds
Parks Gardeners inspect the park lakes and boating ponds on a weekly basis. It is the responsibility of the Parks Gardeners to report any serious problems associated with these water bodies to the Operations Team Leader so that action can be taken to address the problem.
Litter
The Council’s record on cleanliness places it as one of the top performers in London. Litter is collected and bins are emptied on a daily basis from April to October and 3 times a week from November to March. We respond to fly tips and emergency infrastructure repairs in our parks within 24 hours. To report a fly-tip or urgent repairs, please call the Contact Centre alternatively complete an online EnviroCrime Report Form.
Toilets
Toilets are cleaned daily before the parks open and they are further inspected during the course of the day by parks staff with any deficiencies phoned through to the area parks officer for rectification.
Dog Bins
Dog bins are provided in the majority of our parks and are emptied once or twice weekly depending on the site and this is carried out by a specialist contractor. To report problems with dog bins or dog fouling, please contact the Contact Centre alternatively complete an online EnviroCrime Report Form.
Graffiti
Parks take their responsibility for providing a clean and tidy borough very seriously. The removal of graffiti is seen as a key element of that objective. Graffiti is removed as soon as practicable. Racist graffiti is removed within 24 hours. To achieve this ambitious target a number of parks staff have been trained in graffiti removal and the Parks Operation section has invested in specialist pressure washers specifically for the task.
Building Maintenance
All parks buildings are assessed annually by the Council’s Surveyor Department and identified works are added to the repair and maintenance programme for the following year.
Repair and Maintenance of Playgrounds
An external company undertakes the repair and maintenance of Park’s playgrounds. The parks staff inspect the playgrounds on a daily basis to ensure they are safe for use. Any problems are reported to the Area Team Leaders.
Security and Safety
Each park and open space is checked daily for site security and safety.
For further information on this service please contact the Parks Operations Unit.
To report a problem please contact the Contact Centre or use Enfield Council's Online Reporting Service.
Eligibilty
None.
Required Customer Information
None.
Service Level Agreement and Turnaround
If a member of the public requests an inspection of an area in a park/open space, we aim to inspect within 10 working days. If there is a potential danger, we endeavour to inspect immediately. During severe weather, we operate an emergency service and respond as quickly as possible.
More information about this service
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