Friends' Groups Say Future of Borough Parks 'Uncertain'

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Express disappointment at lack of consultation on surprise management changes

Gunnersbury Park Mansion

Parks Friends’ groups in the borough have made the Council aware of their disappointment with the lack of consultation over a major change in policy in a recent meeting.

Following the surprise decision by Hounslow Council and Carillion to terminate the contract for parks’ maintenance seven months early representatives from seventeen of Hounslow’s Friends of Parks groups met on 15 November with Head of Parks Stefania Horne and lead cabinet member for Green Policy and Leisure Samia Chaudhary.

The Friends’ groups were told how Hounslow’s Cabinet will meet to approve the future strategy for parks next Tuesday 21 November. They pointed out that, although they were pleased that the councillor in charge had met them collectively for the first time it gave them little time to work out the full ramifications of the move.

Stefania Horne, following on the work of Consultants V4S, is recommending that Lampton 360, a wholly council-owned company currently responsible for waste collection and property development, take over maintenance contracts once Carillion finishes on 9 April 2018. This, explained Ms Horne, will help to meet the ambitious savings targets imposed on the parks service, and will also provide a more satisfactory solution than using a contractor. Lampton 360, she said, should be considered as an internal department, although with some advantages for Hounslow. Pension liabilities will be reduced using Lampton 360, and Lampton is permitted to trade, so it would be able to seek alternative sources of income generation. Quality supervision should be much improved.

In the interim, there will be a working group comprising Carillion and parks’ staff to try to ensure that maintenance continues with ‘business as usual’. Groups expressed concerns about this ‘end of contract’ hiatus, especially with regard to events and Green Flag certification.

The Parks Friends’ groups were not unhappy at the departure of Carillion, saying there had been much frustration with their work over the years. Ms Horne emphasised that this should be a new beginning and was a very good opportunity to improve the service. Lampton 360 would be ‘in-house’ but a separate company. Groups were invited to share in the process and Cllr Chaudhary invited groups to participate in the process.

The Friends’ groups, however, felt that there were serious issues to consider, and not enough time to do it in. They said it remained unclear who would be responsible for work on a day-to-day basis and how it would be monitored. Concern was expressed that the new company would have to lease or buy all its new equipment, and that this would be subject to VAT, and more expensive than anticipated, causing further strain on the parks’ already restricted budgets. Also they requested that ecologists and horticulturalists to form part of the new teams.

More wide-reaching concerns included the lack of experience of current Lampton directors who have no parks’ experience, but come from real estate, property development and waste industry backgrounds. The documents which formed the basis for Lampton’s incorporation specify the presence of councillors and the Chief Executive on the Board, but these have all resigned raising questions as to how directors are selected. The Friends requested a representative director on the Board. Cllr Chaudhary said she would take back this request.

The issue of potential conflicts of interest was raised. Given that Lampton 360 is in the business of land development it was thought this may present a threat to Hounslow’s open space. The Lampton business plan of July 2016 says: “This will mean that at some point in the near future Development 360 will either need to be acquiring sites from the open market, or working with a Joint Venture partner to bring these sites forward or releasing and identifying more assets by way of release of Green Belt, or Metropolitan Open Land.” Ms Horne pointed out that planning permission would still be needed, but Friends remained anxious, especially given last week’s publication of the draft Local Plans, which state, “It is now necessary to consider the potential for release of green belt sites” and identifies sites in Bedfont, Hatton and Cranford for de-designation.

On the question of whether the parks’ revenue would be ring-fenced and reinvested in the parks the Friends were told that it wouldn’t be but that at least this revenue would not become commercial profit, but would be retained by the council. This also raised the question of financial risk with any potential profits from external contracting work going to Lampton but losses having to be underwritten by the Council. Remuneration of directors was also raised and concerns were expressed about the unrealistic optimism of the budget. The Friends’ Groups say Lampton’s track record was not encouraging, with its new waste management scheme (budgeted £11.5m, actual now estimated £28.15m and climbing), and Facilities Management Lampton overspend potentially nearly £4million.

Overall the Friends’ groups, while pleased about the opportunities for improvement following the departure of Carillion, were uncertain about the future of their parks under Lampton 360. They feared that the Council were rushing into a decision without due consideration, and that there were very serious structural questions about the Lampton 360 group of companies. Lampton’s aim to be “of the Council but different” left many questions unanswered: and no time to do so before next Tuesday.

Councillor Samia Chaudhary said; “We believe there is an opportunity by doing this to maintain our parks to the same high standards, but also enable investment in new vehicles and equipment, and make savings of over £1 million per year.”

“It is important to note that there will be no change to the ownership of the parks which will all continue to be owned, as now, by the Council. Lampton 360 will be contracted to undertake the operational services required in our parks on behalf of the Council.

“This will help the council to deliver its promise to make Hounslow a cleaner, greener borough, encourage active and healthy communities, and provide quality services and value for money.”

To contact the Park Friends Forum email; hounslowfriendsforum@gmail.com.

November 17, 2017