‘Children can’t even play, it’s a disgrace’
HOUSING COMPANY UNDER FIRE OVER INADEQUATE GRASS CUTTING
A HOUSING company is continuing to come under fire over inadequate grass cutting, with one councillor claiming the green spaces it is responsible for are in the worst state she has ever seen.
Beyond Housing issued an apology last month and explained a recently appointed contractor “had not met our specifications for timely, quality grass cutting”. But the complaints from Redcar and Cleveland residents have kept coming and have shown no signs of abating.
Beyond said it was “doing everything possible” to try to improve the situation and was holding daily meetings with the contracted firm. Grangetown ward councillor Lynn Pallister said: “I am just so shocked and disappointed with the level of service they have delivered.
“Beyond Housing are not a small business, they have 30,000 homes and are used to running housing and environmental services.”
Cllr Pallister said the council was being unfairly blamed in some instances by angry residents and had been damaged by the saga when its teams were continuing to carry out regular maintenance.
She said: “I have been a councillor for 24 years now and I have never ever seen our open spaces and estates such a mess.
“We have two parks here and one that you can’t see anymore. Some people are talking about cutting the grass themselves. It’s beyond need to get this sorted out as soon as possible. The residents and tenants in Redcar and Cleveland deserve better than this. They have got to make sure the grass is picked up as well, because it has been left for so long it is just clumps.”
Posting on Facebook, some Grangetown residents said children had been unable to play during the school half-term holiday last week because some open spaces were so overgrown. Steph Milson said: “They can’t even kick a ball because the grass is that long. We haven’t had our grass cut once this year and we are now in June.”
Joe Parker said residents had also been given wrong dates of when grass would be cut. He said: “The kids have been off all week and they can’t play, it is a disgrace.”
Ashley Blackwell, who lives on the Lakes Estate in Redcar, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he had called Beyond and received an apology.
Mr Blackwell called some communal areas a “bloody mess” and a “right shambles” and said the company and its contractor were not sticking to the deadlines that had been given in terms of when work would be done.
He said: “It is not good enough and they need to get their finger out.”
Mr Blackwell said even when grass cutting had been done, in some instances it looked a mess.
Pensioner Terry Agar, who lives with his wife Christine in Marine Court, Saltburn, said the grass round the back of their property was “three foot high” with weeds also an issue, and claimed it had not been cut for three months.
Mr Agar said his wife was afraid to venture out and claimed health and safety concerns had been cited as to why some areas were not being cut properly.
The 77-year-old said: “It’s terrible. This is a service we pay for and which we are not receiving.”
He said he felt forced to bring the matter to the media’s attention “in the hope of shaming Beyond Housing to meet its obligations”.
Lynne Collins, from Blakey Close, Redcar, another Beyond tenant, whose complaint the LDRS previously highlighted, said: “They have finally cut my side of the road, but not the other yet.
“The mess is terrible, loose grass and clumps everywhere and not cut properly.
“I’m not sure which looks worse, the cut or uncut version.”
The LDRS understands Beyond has advised it may be the end of July before maintenance schedules are back to where they should be at this time of year.
David Chadwick, director of property and commercial operations at Beyond Housing, said: “Continued delays to green space maintenance are unacceptable and we apologise wholeheartedly to all communities affected.”
Mr Chadwick said it was “doing everything possible to improve the situation”, including holding daily meetings with directors from the contracted firm to maintain the pressure and monitor progress.
He said: “Although it is too late to arrange an alternative contractor this season, we are absolutely committed to delivering an improved service in the future and will do whatever it takes to achieve this.
“We have set up a dedicated form on our website which we would encourage anyone with concerns to complete.”
Affected tenants seeking more information should visit: beyondhousing.co.uk/grass-cutting/