As we are now well into into the summer months, it feels like a good time to share an update on what’s changing (and improving!) when it comes to how the green spaces and public areas in Middle and West Wichel are looked after.
The Wichelstowe Estate Management Company employ Firstport as its managing agent to look after the site, and they in turn have been dependant on appointing external grounds maintenance companies to visit the site and undertake the grass cutting, hedge trimming etc. You’ve probably seen teams from Enviro and Keystone around doing this work. To date this has been the most appropriate way of delivering services as the community had not grown to a sufficient size where the estate areas and the budget could accommodate a permanent presence on site.
We’re really pleased to say that the Wichelstowe community has now reached a point where we can start to introduce a dedicated on-site grounds team. This means we’ll start moving away from external contractors and instead start to employ dedicated full-time grounds keepers who will know the area inside out.
What does this mean in practice?
There are a couple of big benefits:
- Better value for residents – by moving things in-house, we’re able to keep costs under control. In fact, we’ve managed to freeze the Estate Management fee this year, avoiding inflationary increases.
- A more responsive service – having onsite operatives means maintenance can be more flexible and targeted. Instead of teams coming in for set tasks and time slots, we now have someone who can see what needs doing and prioritise accordingly.
Meet the team 👋
Right now, the team is just one person – Max – but it’s a great start!
Max is the head grounds person and lives locally in Swindon and is based full-time at Wichelstowe. He’s already getting to know the estate (every corner of it!) and brings plenty of experience from his time with FirstPort at the lakes in South Cerney. There’s also a new base for the grounds team up at the northern end of the Orchards, near the orchard tree planting area.
In the short term, there will be times when we need a bit of extra help – for example, during busier periods or if equipment breaks down. But we’re actively looking at growing the team and hope to be able to appoint an apprentice later this year.
Working alongside others
It’s also worth mentioning that some maintenance work is performed by Wroughton and Wichelstowe Parish Council. They’re responsible for things like emptying litter bins and cutting verge grass on certain main roads.
One of the key priorities for the new grounds team will be to work closely with the Parish grounds team, making sure everything is coordinated and delivers the best value for everyone living at Wichelstowe.
You might also spot South Swindon Parish Council vans in the area from time to time as the parish boundary doesn’t quite line up neatly with how Wichelstowe has developed!
And finally…
Katie, our FirstPort Property Manager, continues to play a key role behind the scenes. She oversees the site, carries out inspections, and helps plan works across both the green spaces and manages the upkeep of the apartment buildings. She also runs the resident surgeries and is usually your go-to person if you’ve got any questions or concerns.
If you’ve got any feedback or spot something that needs attention, please do get in touch – the move to a dedicated on-site team is all about making Wichelstowe even better for everyone who lives here.
