The company responsible says it’s working to improve
Jamie Waller Local Democracy Reporter
16:28, 06 Feb 2026
The council is unhappy with delays getting properties ready(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
A council leader says it’s ‘ridiculous’ that a company employed to prepare homes for new tenants can’t garden.
Ian Williams Ltd is contracted to prepare North Kesteven District Council’s empty properties including repairs and gardening.
However senior leaders have expressed concerns about the company, including poor communication and the fact it apparently doesn’t have specialist gardening equipment.
The company says it’s working to improve, but the council is unhappy with lengthy delays to get properties ready.
Leader Councillor Richard Wright (Conservative) told an Executive meeting this week: “We’ve taken on a gardener that can’t garden. It’s a ridiculous situation, and really needs to be sorted.”
He added: “We can’t accept this as the status quo, something needs to be done.
“[The time when properties are empty] have improved but are still way out from where they should be. As a council, we won’t be happy unless that’s drastically reduced.
“Particularly in a private estate, it’s so important that gardens are right as it causes issues with other people.”
A council report for the meeting says: “Tenant comments frequently refer to overgrown, uneven or poorly cleared gardens at handover, which has a disproportionate impact on first impressions of their new home.”
There were also complaints about communication blackouts from the contractor, with the council not being given updates.
Councillor Mark Smith (Conservative) said: “One of my residents was allocated a property recently, and right up until work [by Ian Williams] started, communication was fantastic.
“Then until the day it was ready, there was nothing at all.”
He added: “If the contractor has not got gardening equipment, we should maybe look at changing that – it’s one of biggest issues that residents have.”
The council has put a plan in place with the company to reduce the time social housing tenants are kept waiting for their homes, which they say has had early success.
Between November and December 2025, 24 percent of properties were repaired in the target timeframe, compared to none from April to October.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Ian Williams is fully committed to delivering an excellent service to the residents of North Kesteven and, although we currently don’t deliver large scale garden works which would typically go to a professional landscaping company, we are working in partnership with North Kesteven District Council to continuously improve the offering including our communication.”
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