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Grounds maintenance standard

Castles & Coasts Housing Association (CCHA) aims to provide an excellent grounds maintenance service to our residents. We’ll make sure our communal grounds are kept clean and tidy, with hedges and shrubs cut back and grassed areas maintained. This will include:

 

Grassed areas

  • All grassed areas will be cut (minimum of 13 visits between April and October)
  • Litter, stones and other debris shall be collected straight away, before cutting or treatment being done
  • All litter, debris etc will be removed from sites, and any adjoining hard surfaces, once works are completed
  • Grass shall be cut to a consistent height
  • Edges will be trimmed and/or sprayed, where needed
  • Hard standing areas will be sprayed to control weed growth, where needed

 

Hedges, shrubs, flower beds

  • Trimming and shaping of shrubs and hedges (usually twice per year, but this depends on the species)
  • Flower beds will be maintained monthly
  • Shrubs, plants and hedges will be replaced, as needed
  • Hedges and shrubs adjacent to pathways will be regularly maintained, so they don't cause any obstruction
  • All litter will be removed (at least monthly)

 

Trees

  • Trees and woodlands within communal areas and estates will be managed and maintained through a proactive and risk-based approach
  • Branches encroaching onto lights or properties will be cut back and removed
  • All tree works will be carried out in accordance with good arboricultural practice, British Standard 3998 (Recommendations for tree works) and the Wildlife & Countryside Act

We are not able to maintain or fell trees in private or individual gardens, or to:

  • Deter birds roosting
  • Prevent wind-blown pollen, blossoms, petals, seeds or leaves
  • Abate falling fruit, berries, nuts or sap
  • Improve access to natural daylight or for aesthetic views, as ad-hoc requests
  • Remove arboreal insects
  • Improve television reception to non-communal system

Flooding

We monitor the potential risk of flooding as part of our Flood Strategy. In cases where there is a significant risk of flooding our Grounds Maintenance teams will carry out actions such as installation of sandbags where this is possible and where we think this will minimise the risk of flooding. 

Winter Programme

Each year from around the end of October until early March, we move to carrying out our winter works programme. This is aimed at ensuring our schemes are given the right level of attention outside of the growing season. 

We carry out monthly site visits to our schemes during the winter period, and the works we carry out (as needed) include.

  • Trimming and shaping of shrubs and hedges (where needed)
  • Tree management works (where needed)
  • Litter picking and debris removal at time of visit
  • 'Kerb appeal' activities such as moss removal from surfaces

Below you will find our directory of Landscape Plans, showing the areas serviced by our Grounds Maintenance Teams.

Please contact our Customer Services Team if you have any queries about the Landscape Plan for your area.

Landscape plans for the North East of England

Chapel Close - Landscape Plan:

Charlton View - Landscape Plan:

Collingwood Close - Landscape Plan:

Constance Street - Landscape Plan:

Cragside Court - Landscape Plan:

Eastlands - Landscape Plan:

Eddleston - Landscape Plan:

Fitzhugh Court - Landscape Plan:

Ford Rise - Landscape Plan:

Gelt Crescent - Landscape Plan:

Glebe Field - Landscape Plan:

Hadleigh Court - Landscape Plan:

Healeycote View - Landscape Plan:

Hedley House - Landscape Plan:

Kelly Close - Landscape Plan:

Ladywell - Landscape Plan:

Lumley Walk - Landscape Plan:

Magnolia Grove - Landscape Plan:

Newstead Close - Landscape Plan:

Pembroke Court - Landscape Plan:

Reaston View - Landscape Plan:

Selaby Court - Landscape Plan:

Selah Close - Landscape Plan:

Sledmere Close - Landscape Plan:

St Helens Gate - Landscape Plan:

St Oswalds Close - Landscape Plan:

Stobarts Field - Landscape Plan:

The Old Orchard - Landscape Plan:

Tindale Drive - Landscape Plan:

Tweed Close - Landscape Plan:

Wadham Court - Landscape Plan:

Westfield Close - Landscape Plan:

Landscape plans for the North West of England

Aspatria - Landscape Plans:

Brampton - Landscape Plans:

Fleetwood - Landscape Plans:

Nenthead - Landscape Plans:

Silloth - Landscape Plans:

Cleaning specification

Outlined below is the specification for cleaning of communal areas. Please note this is a generic cleaning specification and not all facilities or items specified will be present or need cleaning in all units/blocks.

 

Entrances/exits (internal and external areas)

  • Clean both sides of external doors, including glazed vision panels, fanlights and frames
  • Clean door handles/panels and door entry panels as appropriate
  • Ensure pathways leading to all entrances are free of litter/leaves/debris and safe for all those who use them
  • Remove free newspapers, circulars and junk mail, pick up litter and dispose of as appropriate

 

Floors

  • Vacuum all carpeted floors, landings, staircases, balconies - starting from top and working to bottom
  • Sweep hard floors including external staircases balconies and entrances
  • Clean all hard floors
  • Clean all stair treads and nosing with an appropriate solution

 

Woodwork

  • Dust all horizontal surfaces to all internal communal woodwork, including door and window frames, architraves, internal sills, skirting boards, stair edges, picture frames and dado rails
  • Dust handrails and balustrades
  • Wash down all woodwork as above and include communal doors and fire doors

 

Fittings

  • Dust and clean as necessary all electric sockets, light-switches and wall-mounted light fittings
  • Remove cobwebs and debris from ceiling lights and upper wall areas
  • Dust meter cupboards, post boxes, etc.

 

Internal glazing/walls

  • Remove marks from glass doors/view panels
  • Clean internal windows of any communal areas
  • Remove all dirt/stains from internal walls

 

Communal laundry/kitchen facilities

  • Sweep floors to remove debris
  • Clean floors
  • Wash down sinks, white goods, benches, cupboards etc
  • Remove and dispose of any rubbish, emptying any bins

 

Bins stores/refuse collection area (may be external)

  • Sweep and remove surface debris overspills and litter
  • Thoroughly clean and disinfect floor areas as appropriate to the surface
  • Thoroughly clean and disinfect bins
  • Remove any rubbish or bin bags to external paladins

 

Communal areas/lounge

  • Vacuum all carpeted floors, spot cleaning as required
  • Dust all horizontal surfaces including sills, skirting boards, doors, windows and furniture picture frames
  • Vacuum all chairs and sofas
  • Clean all woodwork as above including doors

 

Lifts

  • Clean inside of lift as appropriate (flooring, doors and walls)
  • Clean outside of lifts and all button panels on each floor

 

Communal toilets/bathing facilities

  • Thoroughly clean toilets, washbasin, and any other facilities
  • Supply and replace toilet rolls, paper hand towels and soap when required
  • Clean floors, paintwork and remove any marks from walls
  • Empty and clean bins as and when required

 

General

Please report to CCHA any:

  • build-up of rubbish in communal areas
  • bulky items
  • misuse or abuse of communal areas
  • obvious repairs
  • failure of light fittings
  • other problem that may lead to an unsafe environment

 

Planned works 2025/26

Over this financial year (up to 31 March 2026) Castles & Coasts Housing Association’s (CCHA’s) planned investment programme is set to improve the quality of over 1,000 of its homes across Cumbria and the North East.

Click the button below to see our full programme for the year.