Penrith Town Council is looking for a contractor to maintain public spaces and other council-owned sites across the town under a four-year contract running from March 2027 to February 2031.
Price will account for 60% of the tender score, with businesses based in Penrith parish awarded the highest locality marks under the council’s four-year contract.
The tender gives businesses based in Penrith parish an advantage in the scoring process, although price remains the biggest factor in deciding who gets the work.
According to the tender documents, price accounts for 60% of the overall marks, with quality and experience worth 25%, compliance 10% and the contractor’s location making up the remaining 5%.
Businesses based within Penrith parish can score five locality points, compared with three for those based in the former Eden district and one for contractors based elsewhere.
The council’s procurement policy states that it aims to purchase locally wherever possible, provided best value can be achieved.
The successful contractor will be responsible for a range of routine maintenance work, including grass cutting, hedge trimming, strimming, litter collection, weed spraying and minor tree works.
The contract covers seven locations: Fairhill Playing Field, Thacka Beck Field, St Andrew’s Churchyard war memorial, Greengill Lane, Folly Lane Allotment, Salkeld Road Allotment and the Cornmarket Bandstand.
Fairhill Playing Field and Thacka Beck Field will require a minimum of 16 grass cuts during the growing season, generally starting in mid-March and continuing at fortnightly intervals until mid-to-late October, depending on growth.
At Fairhill, the work includes maintaining the grass around the children’s play area, clearing surfaces after cutting and trimming boundary hedges.
At Thacka Beck, the flat grassed areas are to be maintained, but the sloping bank is excluded from mowing.
The work at St Andrew’s Churchyard is limited to cutting the grass around the perimeter of the war memorial, rather than maintaining the whole churchyard.
At Greengill Lane, the contractor will cut or strim the grass around the concrete plinth supporting a council-provided seat.
The allotment sites also feature in the contract. The highway-facing hedge at Folly Lane is to be cut in July and again in autumn, while the hedge along the cemetery boundary at Salkeld Road is scheduled for cutting every two years, starting in autumn 2028.
At the Cornmarket Bandstand, the contractor will be responsible for applying weedkiller twice a year and removing and disposing of the town’s Christmas tree after Twelfth Night. The tree lights and fencing are dealt with separately.
Contractors bidding for the work must provide details of their experience, a case study of similar work completed within the previous three years and two references.
The tender also requires a health and safety policy, risk assessments, method statements and staff training certificates.
The successful company must hold at least £10 million in public and employers’ liability insurance. The council says the work will be monitored through contract meetings, and the specification sets out arrangements for dealing with performance concerns.
The tender timetable lists 14 December 2026 for Finance Committee approval of the preferred contractor, with the preferred bidder due to be informed by 18 December.
Completed tenders are due by 12 noon on Thursday, 3 December 2026.
Submissions must be sent in a sealed envelope or package marked for the attention of the Town Clerk at:
Penrith Town Council, Unit 1, Church House, 19–24 Friargate, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7XR.
The full Grounds Maintenance Contract 2027–2031 documents are available on the council’s transparency and procurement webpage: https://www.penrithtowncouncil.gov.uk/transparency-procurement/
Businesses seeking further information can contact the council’s Business Services Manager by emailing bsm@penrithtowncouncil.gov.uk or calling the town council on 01768 899773.
The new contract is due to begin on 1 March 2027.
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