Maidenhead & Windsor

It's a new-look this week for Maidenhead contractors looking after Royal Borough parks, cemeteries and open spaces with high-visibility corporate Cleaner, Greener, Safer branding on their vehicles.

The distinctive Maidenhead Royal Borough branding marks a further two-year extension of the grounds maintenance contract with ISS Waterers – which started in February 2000 and was due to finish at the end of this month - to look after the borough's parks, cemeteries, highway verges and sports pitches for another two years.

The branding of vehicles is just one of the service improvements negotiated in the extension of the contract with ISS Waterers – other improvements include:

# 12 new grass cutting machines

# improved technology with on-line information about grass-cutting schedules

# relocation of the machine repair workshop to the council's depot in Tinkers Lane (from its previous base in Windlesham), resulting in quicker repair of machines.

Cllr Richard Fagence, lead member for Maidenhead leisure and cultural services, said: "We are delighted to be able to extend Waterers' contract for a further two years, and to be able to brand their vehicles with the council's Cleaner, Greener, Safer logo.

"We are very fortunate to have some wonderful parks and open spaces in our borough, which I am sure Waterers will continue to maintain to a high standard for the enjoyment of all our residents."

Phil Jones, operations director of ISS Waterers, said: "This extension to our contract demonstrates the strength of partnership between ISS Waterers and the Royal Borough. We will continue to work together to achieve high standards in grounds maintenance for the benefit of local people."

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead