Shenstone Parish Parish Council
Deadline for receipt of tenders via post or email to the Parish Clerk by 5.00pm Friday 27th January.
The Contractor is required to maintain the grounds listed below throughout the period of the contract.
1. St John’s Lower Lawned Cemetery Shenstone
2. St John’s Upper Closed Cemetery Shenstone
The Contractor is to provide all plant, labour and materials including marking out and fuel to carry out the operations detailed in the tender specification.
In carrying out such work the Contractor will ensure that his staff conduct themselves in an appropriate manner, this is especially important in the Cemetery and Churchyard.
The contractor will operate days of the week pre-specified to the Clerk. If dates need to change then notification must be given & approved to avoid being onsite during any burials.
When working in the cemetery
1. The Contractor shall hold and provide copies of the required insurance and public liability cover.
2. The Contractor shall comply with the latest Health and Safety at Work Act and shall hold the relevant Health and Safety certificates.
The length of the contract will be for a period of four years, subject to an annual review, and to include a rate of inflation rise each year to be agreed between the Clerk to the Council and Contractor.
All Tenders are to be sent to the Clerk to the Council and be exclusive of VAT.
Cemetery Grounds Maintenance
The following maintenance standards are required for the St John’s Lower Lawned Cemetery:
Description and Standard
Figure in brackets is the scheduled number of works to be quoted for
1. Cut all grass areas.
(a) Between March and October complete weekly cuts dependant on growing conditions. (32)
(b) Between November and February: (2) cuts throughout this period dependent on growing conditions. If further cuts requested by Council, cuts to be completed within one week or as soon as possible. (c) Grass height should not exceed 50mm. (d) Arisings to be evenly dispersed at each cut. (e) Blow away any loose grass that gathers on gravestone flat surfaces following each cut.
2. Grass edges
(a) To avoid any damage, strim with careful attention around all graves/headstones where other maintenance equipment cannot access. Follow same frequency as the grass cuts in 1 (a) and (b) above. (32) & (2). (b) Strim or chemically treat the edging to the base of the ramp down to the lower cemetery and the base of lower cemetery walls and trees three times a year. (3)
(c) Blow away any loose grass that gathers on gravestone flat surfaces following each cut. (32)
3. Dead flowers
(a) Remove weekly from each gravestone/headstone flowers that are dead a have started to rot and smell. Dispose of dead flowers in bins on site. (52) (b) Cut back daffodils once flowered and finished for the year. (1) (c) Remove and dispose of Christmas wreathes after the end of January into the bins provided. Under no circumstances are any personal items to be removed. (d) Clear and dispose off site fallen leaves at visit each visit during the autumn period. (3)
4. Bushes, trees, hedges
(a) Undertake an annual trim of all sides of the boundary hedge that runs along the northern boundary. (1) (b) Undertake annual pruning of the small number of individual trees and bushes in the lower cemetery (1) (c) Provide a day rate for the lopping and topping of trees (1)
5. Litter
(a) At each visit inspect all areas of the lower cemetery for litter and dispose of in bins provided. (52) (b) Remove any glass items that may cause harm during strimming or cutting and remove any broken glass items on gravestones (52)
The following maintenance standards are required for the St John’s Upper Closed Cemetery:
Description and Standard
1. Cut all grass areas.
(a) Between March and October complete three cuts per month dependant on growing conditions (16)
(b) Between November and February (2) cuts throughout this period dependent on growing conditions. If further cuts requested by Council, cuts to be completed within one week or as soon as possible.
(c) Grass height should not exceed 75mm. (d) Arisings to be evenly dispersed at each cut. (e) Blow away any loose grass that gathers on gravestone flat surfaces following each cut.
2. Grass edges
(a) To avoid any damage, strim with careful attention around all graves/headstones where other maintenance equipment cannot access. Follow same frequency as the grass cuts in 1 (a) and (b) (16) & (2) above. (b) Strim or chemically treat with careful attention the internal areas of graves where the stonework has disintegrated, and grass now grows. (3) (c) Strim or chemically treat with careful attention the base of cemetery walls and trees three times a year. The immediate base of mature trees to be treated once per year to allow fauna and flora to thrive. (1) (d) Blow away any loose grass that gathers on gravestone flat surfaces following each cut (18)
3. Dead flowers
(a) Remove weekly from each gravestone/headstone flowers that are dead a have started to rot and smell. Dispose of dead flowers in bins on site. (18) (b) Cut back daffodils once flowered and finished for the year. (1) (c) Remove and dispose of Christmas wreathes after the end of January into the bins provided. (1) (d) clear and dispose off site fallen leaves during the autumn period (3)
4. Bushes, trees, hedges
(a) Undertake an annual trim of all sides of the boundary hedge that runs along the southwestern and northern boundaries. (1) (b) Undertake annual pruning of the small number of individual trees and bushes in the upper cemetery (1) (c) Provide a day rate for the lopping and topping of trees (1)
5. Litter
(a) At each visit inspect all areas of the Upper cemetery for litter and dispose of in bins provided. (16) (b) Remove any glass items that may cause harm during strimming or cutting and remove any broken glass items on gravestones. (18)
7. Paths and hard standings
(a) To be swept clear of grass by hand at each visit. (18) (b) Edges strimmed or chemically treated three times per year.
8. Day rates for work to trees
(a) Provide a day rate for removal of epicormic tree growth
9. Litter bins
(a) Empty litter bin next to Old Tower each visit (18)
(b) Empty dog poo bin on the glebe on each visit (52)
10. Weed killing
Weed killing around side & back of Old Tower March, June & Sept (3).
Miscellaneous for Upper and Lower cemeteries
- Report to the Clerk any unsafe trees or structures or vandalism. (b) Refuelling of mowers/strimmers must not be carried out on the grassed area.
- Maintenance of shrubbery and trees