Hertfordshire Countryside At Risk as Tory County Council Plans Management Service Outsourcing

At a recent meeting on 8 July 2014, Councillors were informed of plans to outsource the work of the County's Countryside Management Services (CMS). During the last financial year, CMS delivered £1.6m of work for Hertfordshire, supported by £400,000 of County-Council funding and £200,000 of District and Borough Council funding.

They have trained and supported 201 Health Walk Leaders delivering 50 walks per week from more than 50 different locations and 2013-14 over 32,000 people took part in Health Walks. They support 33 Friends groups who are volunteering to look after parts of their local environment.

In addition, CMS manage 67 environmental and community projects and implement land management plans for over 30 sites, including Rights of Way. They manage more than 350 individual volunteers on project work and over the last 6 years secured £10,000,000 of external investment in Hertfordshire's environment.

By any measure, CMS has been an effective, efficient and cost-effective organisation which has delivered immense and recreational benefits across our County.

A local charity Groundwork has expressed an interest in taking on these services. Groundwork is a well established, effective and well respected organisation. However, there are two risks in outsourcing. The first is the process will open up the possibility of bids from organisations not fully familiar with Hertfordshire, the second is that the County Council may be tempted, in its anxiety to save money, to pitch the value and scope of the contract at a level which will require significant reductions in the breadth and depth of the presently satisfactory countryside management arrangements.

Tender documents are planned to be issued in October 2014 with a new outsourced contract awarded to the successful bidder in January 2015.