Although the current cold snap belies the season: spring is upon us. 

That means that the grounds maintenance team from ICC Member, Home Fix Scotland has been out and about beginning the maintenance of open spaces under the ownership of River Clyde Homes.

The first cuts began on Monday as staff braved the elements at sites in Port Glasgow, Greenock and Gourock. 

The 15 strong team will be a regular sight across Inverclyde over the next seven months. This year a new cutting programme has been set up that means sites should be cut every 3 weeks. 

The amount of open space they maintain is quite phenomenal: the equivalent of over 990 football pitches is cut each year. 

To help keep on top of it, Home-Fix Scotland is investing £200,000 in new equipment to ensure a better cut and greater reliability. 

There are several purposely unmaintained areas of land across Inverclyde that provide environmental opportunities for rewilding and tree planting. River Clyde Homes are working towards planting trees and wild meadows by 2030 as part of the environmental sustainability improvements. 

Where it is suitable for wildflowers to grow naturally these areas will also be encouraged. Wildflowers provide valuable food and shelter for pollinators that are in decline, as well as an attractive visual space that can help alleviate air pollution. 

Derek Ferguson, Managing Director of Home Fix Scotland said:

“We understand how important our open spaces are to our customers and the greater Inverclyde population. We have boosted our team this year and with the additional investment in machinery I anticipate that customers will notice the difference.” 

Home Fix Scotland