8.5  Grounds Maintenance and Horticulture52

The Contractor is required to manage all non-adopted public areas/communal spaces within the estate (including those areas that are 'privately owned' public open space) in such manner so as to ensure that:

i.  the public areas are provided and managed to ensure a safe and pleasant quality environment, including any provided children's play areas. This will principally relate to the management and maintenance of open space;

ii.  open space is substantially free of dog fouling, litter, graffiti  and dumped rubbish;

iii.  all communal spaces and landscaped areas on the PFI Site are kept tidy and are not overgrown; and

iv.  Trees are properly maintained.

[For the avoidance of doubt, the Contractor will be expected to maintain all open spaces (save for those not in Authority ownership or maintained under a formal agreement with another agency e.g. local authority highways, etc.) in accordance with the Performance Standards in Annex III to ensure that a single regime exists across all areas within the PFI boundary.]53

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52 See comments and footnote at 3.2.3.

53 Some authorities have elected to retain this service on value for money grounds.