A collection of park staff, volunteers and union members are forming an opposition group as part of a backlash against Merton Council’s controversial plans to outsource parks maintenance to private contractors.

The newly formed People’s Park Service, which includes representatives from Sustainable Merton, Merton Tree Wardens, council staff and Friends Groups, plans to submit its own bid to take over the maintenance of the parks, after expressing concern about the lack of transparency and clarity in the council’s plans.

However, Merton Council has said it would be “unlawful” to accept a bid from an outside body at this stage in the negotiations, and insist it is working for the best future for both the parks and those who work in them.

The outsourcing plans, which would ensure Merton’s Parks and Cemeteries Services are privatised for the next 24 years, involves the council working alongside Sutton, Kingston and Croydon as part of the South London Waste Partnership to commission parks maintenance services.

The private contractors, who have not yet been decided on, would take over maintenance of the parks from April 2017.

However, members of staff, Friends of the Parks groups and other volunteers have argued there has been too much secrecy and are worried their jobs will be at risk.

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GMB Union officer, Sheila Berry, said she was concerned about a lack of contact from Merton Council’s director of environment and regeneration, Chris Lee, and the level of uncertainty over the future of staff who work in the parks and cemeteries.

She said: “When we question what is going on, we get either waffle or no answer at all. We’re just told it’s commercially sensitive and they can’t say anything.

“The only reason our bid is not in the process is because he wouldn’t consider it in the beginning. It’s easy for him to say that it’s unlawful now, but why didn’t he allow it in the first place?”

However, Mr Lee has insisted they are making sure they appoint a contractor with appropriate experience of both horticulture and maintaining a workforce.

He said: “Along with all councils, we are facing unprecedented austerity so we have to deliver savings across all our services, including how we maintain our parks and cemeteries.

“We are working with the other South London Waste Partnership councils to collectively procure contracts for a range of services which should deliver savings of at least 10 per cent and ensure quality maintenance of our green spaces.

"Our lengthy and thorough procurement exercise, which will be reported to cabinet shortly, is in line with all procurement legislation and to stop the process at this stage and accept a bid from a company not in the process would open all four councils up to significant commercial and financial risk, so it would be unlawful to consider any such bid."

Mr Lee also said the council will retain control of fees and charges in Merton’s cemeteries, and any profits from the cemeteries will be reinvested back into the council. He said the majority of London’s parks are maintained by private contractors who work with friends groups.

However, GMB Union workplace organiser, Terry Downes, warned that Merton’s Friends Groups are not happy to continuing volunteering in order to help a private company make more money.

Conservative councillor David Dean, who is standing for election tomorrow as London Assembly member for Merton and Wandsworth, is a founding member of the new People’s Parks service, and claims that Friends Groups have been “totally ignored” during the process.

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He said: “The private companies don’t even know that about one third of the work that happens in Merton’s parks is done by Friends Groups. They’ve never consulted them.

“The groups love their parks, but they’re not just going to work for a faceless contractor who is profiting from their work.

“We spend less per square foot on our open spaces than any borough in London. No company will be able to match it and of course it will fail at some point, and we will take up the reigns.

“The tenure will come up for grabs. It may take two years, it may take four years, but we will be ready.”

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