Currently the parks and green spaces contract is run by a joint venture between the city council and Glendale – Glendale-Liverpool – which is due to end in October 2018

Liverpool’s parks and green spaces are to be managed by the city council’s own company in a bid to save £7m.

A report to the city’s cabinet on Friday, October 27, is recommending that Liverpool Street Scene Services – a wholly owned Local Authority Trading Company (LATco) – takes over the £6.8m annual parks and grounds maintenance arrangement.

The organisation already operates Liverpool’s refuse, recycling and street cleansing service.

The work includes the development, management and maintenance of parks, trees, playgrounds, outdoor sports and leisure facilities, cemeteries, crematoria gardens and playgrounds.

Currently the contract is run by a joint venture between the city council and Glendale – Glendale-Liverpool – which is due to end in October 2018.

It is estimated that the proposed 10-year deal could save up to £7m by doing away with management fees, integrating management and supervisory functions and making efficiencies on the purchase and hire of equipment.

Following a soft market testing exercise, the city council has decided against holding a competitive tender process, because it is not believed it would deliver a better or timelier outcome.

This is allowed under a rule known as the ‘Teckal exemption’, which enables public authorities to enter into service contracts with wholly owned companies without going out to the market.

Councillor Steve Munby, Cabinet member for City Services, said: “We’ve taken a long hard look at whether we should go out to tender on this, but believe that that the time and cost of doing so would wipe out any efficiency savings and not deliver anything better.”

A separate report to the Cabinet is recommending that the city council extends its existing contracts with Liverpool Street Scene Services Limited for refuse, recycling and street cleansing to 10 years.