Ground Maintenance

The Association has extensive grounds throughout Argyll & Bute and the Board decided in 2018 that the best means of achieving ACHA's strategic objective of maintaining and improving the neighbourhoods & environment that our tenants live in is by delivering this service using our own in house team.

For seven months of the year the primary focus is on grass cutting and plant maintenance during the growing season. The remaining five months of the year will focus on neighbourhood improvements.

What do we maintain in your estate?

Grass Cutting

Our teams are busy throughout the year looking after your estates. In terms of this tenant rent funded service, ACHA prioritises areas which are in general closest to our tenants. Areas more remote from Association tenants are designated a lower priority dependent on the proportion of ACHA tenancies in the locality.

You will find a guide to their activities below. Please bear in mind that the work of the team is frequently delayed by adverse weather.

High Grass - We endeavour to cut the grass designated as High maintenance, 13 times in the growing season starting in March and finishing in late October including using blowers to clear the paths, steps and hard standings.
Medium Grass - We will cut the grass designated as Medium maintenance 8 times within the growing season starting in March and finishing in late October including using blowers to clear paths, steps and hard standings.
Rough Grass - We aim to cut designated Rough maintenance, twice within the growing season starting in March and finishing in late October including using blowers to clear paths, steps and hard standings.

Assisted Grass Cutting Scheme

If you have difficulty maintaining your garden due to age, long-term ill health or disability and have no one who can help you may be eligible to apply for our Assisted Grass Cutting Scheme which gives assistance with grass cutting. Please contact us.

Garden Grass - (For eligible tenants) We endeavour to cut grass in the gardens 8 times per growing season starting in April and finishing in October including using blowers to clear the paths, steps and hard standings. Please note we cannot move garden furniture, ornaments, planters or similar to allow access and will not cut if the garden is polluted with dog foul.

Maintenance of common areas and play parks

Weed Kill - Application of weed killer: We will, weather permitting, apply applications twice per growing season to tarmacadam on hard standings and slabbed paths.
Hedges - We will cut our hedges twice per annum; This involves a light prune in the Summer and hard prune in the Winter.
Shrub Beds - We will prune and cultivate/turnover the Shrub Beds twice per annum in accordance with good horticultural practise.
Play Parks - We visit each Play Park on the High grass cutting cycle, 13 times and litter pick, empty bins and if necessary sweep the hard standing.
Litter Picking - Our teams litter pick all areas prior to cutting.
Tree Management - As part of our tree management plan, we survey all our tree stock every 3 years and keep a register of our findings, taking action as required. Our priorities focus on the health of the trees, and the health and safety of the general public & preventing damage to our properties.
Japanese Knotweed - We treat all detected Japanese Knotweed within our title twice per annum until it is eradicated & a register of applications is kept.