Parks & Open Spaces Grounds Maintenance Facility now in build stages

Haydon Wick Parish Council has announced the start of construction on a new long-awaited Parks & Open Spaces Grounds Maintenance Facility.

This project, located within Goodearl Site, Old Blunsdon Road, Haydon Wick, represents a significant investment in preserving and improving the many open spaces within the parish that benefit health, recreation, wildlife and the overall environmental quality of the parish.

With a centralised base, the Council’s Parks & Open Spaces Team can operate more efficiently in tasks like litter picking, dog bin emptying, fixing and installing play equipment, graffiti removal, grass cutting, hedge and shrub bed maintenance and just about anything that is needed to keep the parish looking green, clean and tidy.

The facility has been designed to be in keeping with the natural surroundings of the leisure gardens and been sourced from environmentally friendly materials. The facility will provide a clean and comfortable space for the team to take comfort breaks, store and repair equipment, regroup and refresh themselves while working hard to maintain the open spaces throughout the parish.

Since the Parish Council took on some additional services from Swindon Borough Council in 2017, the team has had temporary welfare arrangements. By taking on these services at the parish level, residents have received localised control and decision making around service priorities, scheduling and quality standards. To continue to carry out the services effectively the Parks & Open Spaces Team needed an adequate space to work from.

A spokesperson said: "Our open spaces are among Haydon Wick's most valuable community assets and this new facility allows us to continue providing excellent service and proper upkeep of these spaces for residents to enjoy for years to come.

“The safety and wellness of our hardworking team is a top priority, and with the investment into the new welfare facility, this allows a dedicated place to take care of the team’s basic requirements and ensure that the investment has been made into better service provision for local residents."

The chosen contractor, Affleck Group, has been working with the Parish Council for three years throughout the consultation, contractual tendering and planning processes factoring in environmental and economic challenges.

Nigel Whelan, Commercial Operations Manager said "By taking full turnkey responsibility, we can ensure that the Grounds Maintenance Facility meets the highest standards of quality, safety and timely delivery. The Parish Council can have full confidence knowing Affleck Group’s team of experts is accountable for managing every detail through design build to project completion."

During a site visit in May 2024, Councillors Richard Hailstone, Vinay Manro and Steve Heyes, inspected the progress and were pleased to see the project taking shape. The Grounds Maintenance Facility is scheduled for completion by late 2024.

Progress updates and construction milestones will be shared on an ongoing basis. For more information, please visit www.haydonwick.gov.uk/ or contact the Office on 01793 772446.