The works were previously carried out by external contractors but following customer feedback and in recognition of the many advantages of directly providing this service in-house there will be more control of service quality and improvements to the service.

Albert Henderson, chair of the River Clyde Homes Board, said: “The new service will operate under our subsidiary company, River Clyde Property Management, which was set up at the end of last year and has been doing a great job installing new kitchens and bathrooms in the Broomhill area, as part of the ongoing £26m regeneration project. We are already seeing significant savings there and I anticipate something similar with the new grounds maintenance team.”

Gary Wilson, executive director of property services, added: “We have employed a team of 11, all from the local area, and will be providing training opportunities for young people in Inverclyde. There has been investment in new machinery and a small fleet of vehicles and the teams will be visible in neighbourhoods soon. The setting up of the new service has caused a slight delay in the grounds maintenance programme this season and we would ask customers for their patience while the teams get out and about in neighbourhoods.”

River Clyde Homes has written to all customers explaining the situation and giving assurance them that the cutting of grass, in particular, is a priority in the coming weeks.