Who and what is Natural Environment Services...
We have the responsibility for the management and maintenance of Parks and Open Spaces, Playgrounds and Leisure areas, Sports Facilities, Public Rights of Way, Highways Verges, Facilities Management, and Tree and Woodland Management.
Torbay Council is firmly committed to maintaining and enhancing Torbay’s areas of natural beauty and interest for our residents and visitors alike. Torbay is one of the UK’s richest areas in terms of biological diversity, and as such, the council seeks to ensure that its commitment to the environment is followed through with actions.
The Benefits of Parks to Torbay:
- Provision of an attractive environment in which to work, live and play.
- Conservation and protection of Torbay’s natural and varied beauty.
- Use of green spaces for communities to become involved in their own environment and identity.
- Provide a safe area to enjoy nature and the outdoors.
Health Benefits:
- Open air exercise can reduce stress levels and promote a feeling of well being.
- Providing a safe environment for exercise in the fresh air.
- Parks provide people a safe and controlled environment to interacting with nature and wildlife or go for a walk.
- To encourage social interaction of all ages.
The Benefits of Playgrounds to Torbay:
- To encourage social interaction of all ages.
- Providing a safe environment for children to play.
- Encouraging exercise in the fresh air.
The Council seeks to:
- Encourage greater use of green spaces by local people.
- Meet social and economic needs in a way which sustains the environment.
- Act as a catalyst for the community to improve the local environment.
The service provided is important to many people – it provides the care for their local environment, ensures that public open spaces are safe.
Who does what?
The Council
The Council is responsible for managing and maintaining all land and open spaces in Torbay, which are owned by the Council. This does not include land managed by the Coast and Countryside Trust or housing companies/associations.
We are responsible for all open space in Torbay; this includes parks, recreation grounds and roadside verges
Contractors
Torbay Council employees work alongside TOR2 and our grounds maintenance contractor Glendale Grounds Management Ltd to ensure this work is carried out efficiently.
- We have a system of planned maintenance works (Cyclical Service) which are carried out on an appropriate basis e.g. weekly, monthly, annually. They are responsible for identifying the frequency of these works and to ensure the best methods are used to achieve the standards required.
- They are responsible for meeting these standards and work closely with Torbay Council to ensure these are met.
The Public
- Members of the public may notice problems before any Council staff do– reports can be very helpful.
- Give valuable feedback on how well the work is progressing.
If you have any suggestions/comments you wish to make please contact Torbay Council. We will try to use your feedback to continually improve our service.
Please be aware that on occasion work may be delayed or hampered by external factors such as the weather, both good and bad. Torbay is a diverse area with hundreds of urban and rural sites – a difficult task to get them all right all of the time.
General Guidance
This general guidance and advice will hopefully answer the most frequently asked questions about trees.
How often do you check these?
We are responsible for ensuring our playgrounds are kept safe and usable. Litter picks and other checks are carried out on a regular
basis. The equipment is inspected by trained operatives for safety issues in accordance with current Health and Safety requirements; if any issues are identified the equipment will be made safe and/or repaired in due course.
Why do you cut the grass when you do?
We aim to keep our grass on verges etc maintained between 30mm (1 inch) and 125mm (5 inches) however this isn’t always possible due to varying factors. The weather can cause the grass to have a faster growth rate than on average and we are not always able to amend the cuttings schedules to accommodate this.
Why don’t you arrange to remove the grass cuttings?
There is no requirement for the providers of this service to remove the grass cuttings however they are required to sweep or blow off any cuttings that fall onto footpaths back onto the mown lawn immediately after cutting, as far as reasonably practicable.
Any litter and debris to be removed from the maintained lawns immediately prior to mowing so that litter is not cut up and spread by cutting machines.
Why don’t you save money by cutting less often?
If the grass is cut less often we need different mowing machines to cut the longer, thicker growth and the increase in cuttings leads to more cleaning up which will cost more money. Opinions on the need for grass cutting differ across Torbay so we strive to accommodate our residents as best we can.
Why are you cutting the grass when it’s wet?
Grass cutting across the whole of Torbay is a large scale, highly organised operation and therefore cannot only be performed in perfect conditions. Unless conditions are very bad and there is the possibility that the mowers will cause serious damage, or in order to protect operator safety, we cut the grass in all weathers - otherwise grass cutting would fall behind schedule.
Why do you only cut some grass areas?
Grass areas are managed and subject to different schedules. Torbay Council with the joint venture partner and contractor may alter the standards from time to time. Some areas are for conservation and are kept long for wildlife.
We are striving to increase the number of wildflower area across our parks and leave areas of grass long to increase our biodiversity.
We do not cut grass areas which are under private ownership or have not yet been adopted by the Council.
If you think an area has been missed in error, please contact us so that we can look into it.
Why have you not cut the hedge as I requested?
During the bird nesting season (approx March until August) if a hedgerow is believed to be home to nesting or roosting birds, we will be unable to carry out works until the young birds have fledged and left the nest or after the end of the season.
We try to maintain our hedges so they do not obstruct or overhang the highway. However we do not cut hedges to create or maintain private views.
A hedge is growing over the footpath making it difficult to pass- will the council cut it?
The hedge is the responsibility of the land owner, if the hedge is growing over from a private property onto the pavement the Highways Authority will instruct the owner to cut it back – if nothing is done and the hedge is causing an obstruction the Highways Authority may arrange for it to be cut by a contractor.
To report any obstruction on the highway, please contact the Highways Department on 01803 207740.
How do you manage the shrub and flower beds?
Tor2 and our contractors are responsible for designing and maintaining the shrub and flower beds across Torbay.
This sometimes incorporates themes appropriate to the year’s occasions.
These beds are kept reasonably weed free and are regularly replaced/ updated. In some areas we seed wild flowers.
The control of weeds on paved areas along the highway is carried out by TOR2 Ltd.
Who manages and maintains these facilities?
Our various facilities are regularly used by local clubs and community groups. Torbay Council provides a variety of sporting facilities, some are free for public use and others are chargeable.
For more information about sports bookings, please contact the Community and Sports Department on 01803 207976.
I want to donate a memorial bench, Who do I contact?
TOR2 is responsible for issuing and maintaining memorial benches. Please contact them directly for more information on 01803 207900
Please see our Tree Management and Protection FAQ's for how we manage our trees.
Related Documents
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FAQ's
Natural Environment Services - Frequently asked questions
Last updated: 19/01/2012, 9:52am (553 KB)
Related Websites
Contact Customer Call Centre
- Tel: 01803 207900
- Email: connections@torbay.gov.uk
- Fax: N/A
Related Pages
- Riviera Housing
