WIRRAL’S parks, countryside and open spaces could be turned over to a private company to manage, under cost-cutting plans being considered by the council.
An asset review has been under way within the authority in recent months assessing all areas of outside space – along with Landican crematorium, golf courses, allotments and sports facilities – which could be included in the proposals.
Cabinet member for culture Cllr Bob Moon said the aim was to improve maintenance standards, gain a closer working relationship with park users and community groups and provide improved facilities.
The council also wants to see the plans result in improved security in parks, better marketing of the facilities and better value for money.
A report to Wirral’s ruling cabinet on the Parks and Countryside Service said the “review includes all of the Parks and Countryside service and the existing Streetscene grounds maintenance contracts, a total contract value of £7.9m per annum.”
The borough’s park rangers and beach lifeguards are among those services which could also be affected by the proposals.
Cllr Moon said the scheme, which remains in its early stages, could result in a private sector company taking on all the facilities on the council’s behalf.
It would work in much the same way that Biffa and Colas were taken on to deal with the borough’s refuse collection and highways maintenance services, respectively. The Colas contract saw many council staff transferred to the private sector company.
Cllr Moon said: “We’re doing the same for the delivery of services in the parks – that is currently done in-house [by Wirral Council], and we’re also looking at crematoria and cemeteries, allotments, golf courses and even grass cutting on verges.”
He said a review of all these assets was almost complete as part of the preparations for seeking a private sector partner.
Wirral’s Parks and Countryside Service is responsible for managing and maintaining 1,505 hectares of land at 272 sites located throughout the Borough.
This includes 60 parks, six country parks, seven local nature reserves, 27 natural areas, 24 sports grounds, 42 green spaces, nine cemeteries, four municipal golf courses and 41 allotment sites.
The cabinet member said consultants had advised the council of three options.
The first would see services kept in-house, but Cllr Moon said: “They are reluctant that we go down that path, because it’s not been very successful in the past. It’s a ‘do nothing’ approach with minimal savings.”
The second option is for some parts of the service to be put together and put out to tender as a block, but others dealt with in a different way – for example, the most profitable areas of the service such as golf courses and crematoria, which could continue to be council-run, or in separate partnerships.
