Bromley Council has approved an eight-year extension to its contract with idverde Ltd for parks management and grounds maintenance, a decision that will see the contract run from April 1, 2027, to March 31, 2035. The decision was made by the Executive committee on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
This extension includes the integration of parks security services, currently provided by Veolia Environmental Services UK PLC, into the idverde contract from April 1, 2027. This move is anticipated to significantly improve operational coordination and accountability for park management. Specifically, it is expected to enable security patrols, grounds maintenance teams, and park management staff to work collectively in identifying and responding to issues such as antisocial behaviour, vandalism, fly-tipping, unauthorised encampments, and vehicle incursions. Furthermore, the integration will provide clearer accountability, streamlined contract management, and reduce duplication of management and administrative arrangements. This will allow the Council to adopt a more intelligence-led and preventative approach to park management, using information gathered through security patrols to inform maintenance priorities and targeted interventions.
The contract terms have also been renegotiated to include a 50:50 sharing of income generated from events and concessions above a guaranteed contract value reduction. The Performance Management Framework has been updated to incorporate new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a service failure clause.
Councillor Josh Coldspring-White, Portfolio Holder for Environment, was among those who approved the extension. The decision followed an options appraisal that deemed the contract extension the most financially prudent choice. Based on financial modelling, all other considered options – insourcing the service, forming a Local Authority Trading Company (LATCo), or retendering the contract – were projected to incur significant cost increases of between 11% and 28%. These alternatives also carried financial and operational risks that are currently outsourced under existing contractual arrangements.
The meeting information and decisions can be found in the Public reports pack and Decisions documents from the Executive meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.