Open spaces and outside your home
Here are a list of the responsibilities and works we can carry out outside your home in compliance with health and safety.
Guttering and fascia boards
Repairs are completed as planned works (within three months) so we can schedule the work into specific areas, offering a better and more efficient service to our customers. Any repairs that pose a Health and Safety risk to the customer, or damage to property, will be dealt with appropriately – for example, guttering hanging loose, etc.
In our sheltered schemes, the gutters and fascia boards will be checked annually. Unfortunately, falling leaves and moss are a natural hazard in the autumn months and, on occasions, block our gutters and drains. We rely on you to inform us of any issues you have. If you aren’t able to clear the drain or gutter yourself, we will deal with it as planned (within three months).
We will always leave the area clean and tidy to the best of our ability but, on occasions, you may find splashes of mud/moss from the clearing of the gutters. If you are at home at the time of the repair, the Repairs Operative will let you know so, if you have any items in your garden that may get splashed, you can move them from the immediate area to limit any cleaning.
Please see below how your repair will progress and what you should expect:
- As the work required is external, no appointment date is given, but should be completed within six months.
- Once the repair is completed, the Operative will post a calling card to confirm the work has been done.
- You will receive a satisfaction questionnaire.
Building and external works
Planned repairs for buildings, dampness, and external areas aim to be finished within three months whenever possible.
Safety concerns will be addressed promptly within the necessary time frames. Our team will clear blocked drains, gullies, or manholes, or involve United Utilities for shared drains.
Building repairs cover fixing steps, walls, paths, etc., that might pose safety risks. Any repairs related to changes you’ve made, like new patios or decking, are your responsibility to maintain.
Sometimes, for safety reasons, we might need to put up scaffolding for building repairs. This could affect your TV or satellite signal temporarily. We’ll try our best to minimise this disruption.
Rear boundary fencing
We’re not required by law to offer rear or dividing fencing. But we’ll think about fixing or replacing fencing in certain cases:
- When it’s needed for safety and privacy from busy areas or roads near your garden.
- When it helps separate your garden from risks like streams or steep drops on the property’s edge.
The decision to repair or replace fencing is at our discretion.
Dividing fences
We don’t handle repairs for fences dividing the front or back of the property. But if a dividing fence is shared with a homeowner, we might do repairs if they can show proof that it’s our responsibility. If there’s a safety issue, the fence might be taken down with the owner’s agreement.
Areas that are currently open plan, for example where there are no obvious individual garden areas, will remain as such. Fencing will not be fitted to these areas.
Grounds maintenance
We listened to your feedback and decided that all grounds maintenance will be delivered directly by Calico from Spring 2024. We believe we can now deliver a better service and as a result, we’ll make our neighbourhoods places we can all be proud of living.
Trees
We don’t trim trees for better light for customers, but customers can trim them. If you want to do this, you need to put the request in writing, as we need to ensure your hired contractor has liability insurance.
Our Tree Policy outlines how we manage our trees and what services we offer for tree work requests. We regularly inspect all our trees.
When you ask for tree work, we’ll inspect within ten working days and let you know the plan.
Requested tree work falls into four categories:
Category A – emergency work that will be carried out immediately.
Category B – work, such as trees affecting your property, will be done within three months.
Category C – work, such as approved pruning, will be done within six months.
Category D – trees identified as not having any specific need to have any work done. It will be re-inspected within 12 months to see if any work is necessary.
In line with local councils, we will not undertake any work on trees that is requested purely for lack of light reasons, unless it is causing a severe amount of light loss.
Grass cutting
When you move in (except for the first cut) it is your responsibility to maintain your private garden. We do maintain communal gardens, shrubs, and ensure access paths are kept clear.
Frequency of ground maintenance
We commit to 12 visits per year across all our neighbourhoods.