£403,000 investment proposed to upgrade parks equipment across Rotherham
The cash would buy things like tractors and mowers - to look after places like Clifton Park and Rother Valley Country Park
Rotherham Council has proposed spending more than £400,000 to replace ageing vehicles and machinery used to maintain parks and green spaces across the borough.
The funding, included in the council’s capital budget proposals, would be spread over two years and would total £403,000.
If approved, the investment would pay for a range of new equipment for the council’s green spaces service, which is responsible for maintaining parks, country parks and outdoor sites.
Plans include replacing five electric buggies used by staff at Clifton Park, Rother Valley Country Park and Waleswood Caravan Site, as well as buying new tractors, mowers and other essential machinery used for grass cutting and land maintenance.
The proposal also includes specialist equipment such as telescopic handlers to help with site works and launching boats at the borough’s watersports centre, a new ride-on mower for Waleswood, a woodchipper, and a remote-controlled flail designed to safely cut steep banks.
To allow equipment to be moved safely between sites, the council also plans to buy a road trailer, helping staff share machinery across different locations rather than relying on hired equipment.
Council papers say much of the existing machinery is old, increasingly unreliable and expensive to repair. In one example, a tractor currently used at Rother Valley Country Park is more than 20 years old.
Officers argue that replacing the equipment would reduce breakdowns, improve efficiency and allow more work to be carried out in-house rather than being outsourced to contractors. They also say the use of electric vehicles would help cut fuel costs and emissions.
Costs are expected to be offset by lower maintenance bills and reduced reliance on hired machinery.
However, council documents warn that rising prices could push costs higher, and that delays in replacing the equipment could lead to worsening site conditions, higher repair bills and potential safety risks.
The proposals form part of the council’s wider capital budget plans and will be considered as part of the authority’s overall budget-setting process.