Details revealed of failures by £1m-a-year council parks contractor
Failure to empty bins, clear litter, keep grass in the condition required and even causing damage were the reasons behind default notices issued to grounds maintenance contractor idverde by Eastbourne Borough Council.
A second Freedom of Information (FoI) request by Eastbourne Reporter followed up our initial enquiry which revealed ten default notices had been issued since October 2023.
Our latest questions asked for details of the notices which led the council to claw back money from the contractor.
The ten areas of work which resulted in default notices were:
:: Six instances of failure to maintain grass to contract specification
:: Two failures to maintain park bins in line with the contract
:: One failure to keep areas litter free
:: One instance of “damage caused by contractor to a site”. The nature of this was not specified.
The existing grounds maintenance contract held by idverde is valued at a total of £2.244 million a year across Lewes and Eastbourne councils; the Eastbourne element is £1.056 million.
How does park maintenance work?
The Liberal Democrat-controlled borough council's Cabinet decided in March not to take grounds maintenance back in house.
The contract is being put out to tender again this summer for renewal in spring 2026. It will be awarded based 40% on price and 60% on quality, according to a report to the Cabinet.
Eastbourne council’s grounds maintenance is currently provided through the contract with idverde, plus separate agreements with Milhams and other local businesses.
Default notices are issued when work is not fulfilled to the standard set out in the contract.
Questions to answer
Eastbourne Reporter asked idverde a month ago how much money was subtracted and whether it was intending to bid for the contract again. We did not receive a response.
We have now asked the following questions of new idverde UK CEO Aidan Bell:
1. What is idverde doing to address the problems recorded under these default notices?
2. What damage was caused at which site?
3. Is idverde intending to bid for this contract, which renews in March 2026, again?
idverde's response
idverde sent us this statement:
"idverde has proudly served as a trusted service provider to Eastbourne Borough Council for over 17 years, with a dedicated local team that includes many employees from the Eastbourne community. Our long-standing partnership reflects a shared commitment to maintaining and enhancing the town’s valued public spaces.
"The contract continues to perform strongly and has been recognised with multiple awards over the years – including accolades for the iconic Carpet Gardens, which remain a symbol of horticultural excellence on Eastbourne’s seafront.
"Beyond our core services, we are proud to be an active supporter of the local community – sponsoring upcoming events and initiatives, and playing a hands-on role in community and school projects that help connect young people with nature and the environment.
"Regarding the query relating to service provision, any deductions applied in this instance were nominal, proportionate to the issue, and have since been resolved in close collaboration with colleagues at Eastbourne Borough Council. We remain committed to delivering a service Eastbourne can be proud of."
Volunteer army tidies the town
The idverde contract in Eastbourne has proved controversial as hundreds of volunteer litter pickers and gardeners helping to tidy the town have questioned how effective it is.
About 18 months ago, sacks of litter were left piled by bins in Gildredge Park which were not emptied for three weeks. The contract stipulates they should be emptied three times a week.
In Eastbourne, a group called Friends Together has been formed to co-ordinate the eight groups of volunteers across the town who are gardening in areas such as the seafront, various parks and Ocklynge cemetery.
Hastings Borough Council took their maintenance back in house three years ago, having previously used idverde.
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