Residents hit out over grass-cutting frequency
Published: 30/07/2008
North-east residents claim they have paid an independent company thousands of pounds to maintain open spaces – but that work has not been done for “more than seven months”.
People at the Redcloak estate at Stonehaven are among thousands who are contractually obliged to pay Glasgow-based Greenbelt Group for services.
Last night, Greenbelt blamed contractors for the problem, saying it had explained issues to residents.
Householders at Newmachar have already complained that Greenbelt halved the frequency of its service, leaving them with “unkempt” public areas.
Ian Matthews, of Redcloak Park, Stonehaven, has paid Greenbelt an annual fee of around £90 to keep the open areas tidy.
Mr Matthews said there were around 100 houses on the estate, each of which paid a similar charge.
He claimed: “The residents of Redcloak have not had any maintenance at all this year.
“This lovely area has become an embarrassment. I have contacted them consistently since May but nobody ever gets back to me.”
Carol Kidd, who chairs the residents’ association at Kirkstyle Farm Estate, at Kemnay, claimed Greenbelt had not cut the grass there for more than six weeks.
“Even Place of Origin, which was opened by the Duke of Kent with great fanfare in 2006, has been allowed to go to ruin,” she added.
Mrs Kidd, of Wilson Place, said she contacted Greenbelt a number of weeks ago to ask why the work was not being done and received a letter blaming problems with the contractor, Inverness-based R. Sleigh Landscapes.
The contractor’s solicitor, Timothy Thomas, of Ledingham Chalmers, said Greenbelt owed his client, Henry Sleigh, a “very large sum”, thought to be about £100,000.
“We have been demanding payment for some months now and have been told by their solicitors that they have had cash-flow problems.
“They have said recently they are disputing some of the work done, but it is certainly not all.”
Greenbelt has now replaced Sleigh with another contractor, but the problems persist, according to Mrs Kidd. A number of other estates in the north-east are also thought to be having problems with Greenbelt, including at Provost Clemo Drive at Insch, the Hallforest estate at Kintore, Meadowlands at Westhill and Leddach Grange estate at Elrick.
People living in the Rosewell Park estate at Westhill and the Greenacres-Pitblae estate at Fraserburgh have also reported difficulties.
A website called Greenbelt Group Action has been set up by dissatisfied customers.
Greenbelt’s managing director Alex Middleton admitted one contractor had not been paid, but said it was because of a “performance issue, and it is quite right we should do that”.
“In one or two cases we have had problems with contractors and we have explained that to our customers,” he added.
He refused to offer the residents of Redcloak at Stonehaven a refund and said residents of Greenbelt-maintained estates were “contractually obliged” to pay.
“There is a need on one or two sites to improve,” he said, adding that it was a priority.
Mr Middleton seems to have his own particular unique definition of contractual law and frquently seems to demonstrate that he thinks his company can collect payments and not deliver the contracted services…
Editor
