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Individual Garden Maintenance Scheme

What is the Individual Garden Maintenance Scheme (IGM)?

East Devon District Council provides tenants who are unable to manage their own gardens due to ill health or disability with a subsidised basic garden maintenance service, for which there is a small annual charge.  The service is not available to all tenants.  To be eligible for assistance tenants  must have a secure tenancy agreement with us and must meet the criteria for acceptance. The  IGM information booklet (419KB - 04 April 2011 - PDF Help) provides further information about eligibility and what is offered under the scheme.  The tenant will need to complete an  IGM Application form (135KB - 04 April 2011 - PDF Help).

What does the service provide?

Tenants will receive a basic grass and hedge cutting service during the spring and summer months, as and when the weather allows. Grass is cut between 5 and 10 times per year but the grass cuttings are not collected. Hedges are cut at least twice a year and cuttings are removed.

Who will carry out the work?

Streetscene, who are a part of East Devon District Council, are our current garden maintenance contractors.

Trees

Trees are not included under the IGM. The Council’s policy with regard to trees is that we do not carry out any work unless the tree is considered to be dying, dangerous or diseased. Such trees in a tenant’s garden need to be reported to Estate Management (01395 516551 ext 2381 or 2396).  Trees requiring attention on communal land should be reported to the Housing Asset and Business Development Officer (01395 516551 ext 2388).

What does the scheme cost the tenant?

The cost to each tenant is just £50 per property, per year (the service is subsidised from the Housing Revenue Account and the actual cost to the Council is approximately £167 per property per year).

What if my garden is small, will I still have to pay £50?

The service charge is a standard charge, irrespective of whether the garden is large or small. Some tenants with very small gardens may find it more cost effective to make their own private arrangements, although most independent garden contractors do charge in excess of £10 an hour for their services.

Can I pay this service charge by instalments and what period does the charge cover?

Unfortunately, the administrative cost of collecting and processing small payments prevents us from providing this service. The service charge must be paid in full and is non-refundable. The charge currently covers the period from 01 April 2011 – 31 March 2012.  Please fill out the payment form and send this in to us.

What if I cannot afford the current annual service charge?

There are no concessions under this scheme. However, we can provide a  list of local voluntary organisations (13KB - 04 April 2011 - PDF Help) who may be able to help you.

Will the Council still maintain communal areas?

Areas which are deemed to be open plan and communal will remain the responsibility of the Council and will be maintained in accordance with our Service Level Agreement.

Please note:

This is a basic garden maintenance service and under the terms of the tenancy agreement, tenants are still responsible for keeping their own gardens neat and tidy.

Page last updated on 30 June 2011