INVITATION TO TENDER FOR THE PROVISION OF TREE MAINTENANCE SERVICES

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (the council) is committed to maintaining and enhancing the boroughs built and natural environment. Protecting and improving the attractive environment that residents enjoy is important; Basingstoke’s trees provide an enormous asset and make it one of the greener towns in the south.
The council is responsible for approximately 50,000 individual trees, 60 hectares of groups and thickets and over 100 hectares of woodland, and need to be managed to maximise ecological, landscape and social gain whilst being resilient to future pressures including climate change and disease. This means providing a safe, healthy and diverse tree resource that successfully integrates into the urban and rural environment.
The council are seeking to appoint a contractor to provide a tree maintenance service throughout the year across the borough of Basingstoke & Deane. The contractor will work closely with the councils in-house tree inspectors who will be identifying and issuing orders for the tree works. Works will include mostly pruning and felling, although there will be an element of tree planting and associated young tree care.
The borough is split into 29 separate wards and the majority of work is issued in large orders, once all the trees in a given ward have been inspected. For larger wards, these may be split into smaller orders, often separating felling from pruning works. Tree works in a ward order are generally located close together, geographically.
Each month, a reactive order for tree work is also issued. Tree works on reactive orders are a response to enquiries and events which have been reported to the council. These orders may be spread across a wider geographical area.
The contractor will also be responsible for providing a 24 hour/365 day emergency call out service.
The vast majority of trees and woodlands are on publically accessible land. This tender does not include the maintenance of trees on adopted highway; however, some of our trees are growing close to roads and footpaths so there is a need for pedestrian control and occasional traffic management.
The contract is being established primarily for use by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council. However, this contract could be utilised by local parish councils and Housing Associations or similar organisations who own property within the borough, or other district councils to whom the council provides shared services.