The Grounds Management Association sets out how councils can respond to climate pressures, budget constraints and rising public expectations by adopting strategic, evidence‑based approaches to grounds management

Local authority grounds teams are operating in an increasingly challenging environment. Budget pressures, changing weather patterns, growing environmental responsibilities and rising public expectations are placing significant demands on parks and open space services. Yet well-managed green spaces remain essential community assets, supporting sport, recreation, biodiversity, health and wellbeing. The most successful authorities are responding by adopting more strategic, evidence-based approaches to grounds management, focusing on resilience, sustainability and workforce development to deliver high-quality public spaces despite ongoing resource constraints.

Managing grounds effectively with limited resources
Maintaining standards while managing reduced budgets remains one of the biggest challenges facing local authority grounds teams. Rather than maintaining every site to the same specification, many councils are prioritising resources according to site usage, community value and operational need. Understanding how spaces are used and establishing realistic quality standards is fundamental.

Sports pitches, formal parks, housing green spaces and informal recreation areas all require different approaches. Developing annual maintenance plans for individual sites enables teams to target resources more effectively and identify where interventions such as aeration, scarification or renovation work are most needed. Regular assessments and measurable data can help inform maintenance priorities and budgeting decisions.

Forward planning is equally important. Maintenance programmes should account for machinery breakdowns, staff absences and weather-related disruption. Building flexibility into operations helps ensure services remain effective throughout the year.

Drought, water scarcity and changing weather patterns
Climate change is having a growing impact on grounds management. Longer periods of drought, more intense rainfall events and increasingly unpredictable seasonal conditions are making traditional maintenance schedules less reliable.

For sports pitches and amenity grassland, hotter summers can lead to reduced grass cover and increased wear, while wetter winters can create drainage issues and reduce usability. As a result, maintenance programmes increasingly need to respond to prevailing conditions rather than historic practice.

Flexibility is becoming one of the most valuable tools available to grounds managers. Regularly reviewing maintenance programmes and adapting operations to weather conditions can help maximise resources, improve playing surfaces and protect valuable green assets.

Choosing resilient and appropriate grass species
Selecting the right grass species is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve resilience and reduce maintenance requirements. Different sites present different challenges, including drought, heavy wear, shade and poor drainage, making site-specific selection essential.

Modern seed mixtures increasingly contain cultivars bred for drought tolerance, wear resistance and rapid recovery. Using a mix of species and cultivars improves resilience and reduces dependence on a single grass type. Selecting high-quality certified seed appropriate to local conditions can improve surface performance, reduce long-term costs and support sustainability objectives.

As climate conditions continue to change, grass species selection will play an increasingly important role in maintaining high-quality sports pitches and public green spaces.

Irrigation and water management
Effective water management is becoming essential for local authorities. While professional sports venues may have sophisticated irrigation systems, councils often need to manage limited water resources carefully and cost-effectively.

Best practice includes prioritising irrigation on high-use sites, improving soil structure to increase water retention, reducing compaction through aeration and considering rainwater harvesting where practical. In many cases, improving soil health and selecting drought-tolerant grasses can provide greater long-term benefits than increasing irrigation alone.

As water becomes an increasingly valuable resource, efficient management will be critical to maintaining quality while supporting wider sustainability goals.

Biodiversity and environmental considerations
Biodiversity is now a key consideration for councils managing public spaces. However, biodiversity and amenity provision do not need to be competing priorities. Successful authorities recognise that different areas can deliver different outcomes.

High-maintenance sports pitches, play areas and formal parks continue to provide significant social value, while lower-maintenance grasslands, wildflower meadows and native planting schemes can support wildlife and improve ecological resilience. The challenge lies in identifying the right balance and managing each area according to its purpose.

Clear communication with local communities is equally important, helping residents understand the environmental benefits of changing management approaches and reduced mowing in selected areas.

Sustainable approaches to mowing and maintenance
Mowing remains one of the most resource-intensive activities undertaken by grounds teams. Increasingly, authorities are moving away from blanket mowing schedules and towards site-specific management plans.

High-profile parks and sports facilities may require more frequent cutting, while less intensively used areas can often be maintained with reduced mowing frequencies. This can lower fuel consumption, reduce costs and support biodiversity without compromising the user experience.

Technology also offers opportunities to improve efficiency. GPS-guided line marking systems, digital maintenance planning tools and emerging automation technologies can reduce labour demands and allow staff to focus on higher-value maintenance tasks.

Balancing amenity, accessibility and biodiversity
Demand for outdoor recreation continues to grow while local authorities face pressures on budgets and land availability. Councils must balance the need to provide quality sports and recreation facilities with environmental ambitions and financial realities.

Many authorities are addressing this challenge by investing in strategically important hub sites. Concentrating resources on key locations can improve pitch quality, increase carrying capacity and allow more people to participate in sport and recreation. At the same time, less intensively used areas can be managed differently to support biodiversity and reduce maintenance requirements.

Partnership working is also becoming increasingly important in helping local authorities sustain sports facilities. A strong example is Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure’s Community Ownership Programme, which has successfully transferred greater responsibility for cricket square maintenance and management to local clubs and community stakeholders while retaining strategic oversight and support.

The programme demonstrates how community ownership can protect valuable sports infrastructure, improve local engagement and create a sustainable long-term maintenance model. By encouraging clubs to play a greater role in the stewardship of the facilities they use, resources can be targeted more effectively while maintaining quality standards and community access.

The initiative has delivered positive outcomes for both facility users and the local authority, helping secure the future of cricket provision while fostering a stronger sense of ownership and responsibility 
within the community. It is a model we are increasingly encouraging other local authorities to consider as a long-term option for sustaining cricket square maintenance and reducing future pressures on stretched budgets and resources.

Planning for extreme weather and climate resilience
Extreme weather events are expected to become more frequent and severe. Flooding, storms and prolonged droughts all present operational challenges for grounds teams, making climate resilience an essential component of long-term planning.

Measures such as improving drainage infrastructure, investing in soil health, selecting resilient plant species and reviewing machinery suitability can help authorities adapt to changing conditions. Maintenance schedules may also need to evolve as growing seasons become longer and weather patterns become less predictable.

The ability to anticipate and adapt to future challenges will increasingly define successful grounds management.

Investing in skilled grounds management staff

People remain the most important asset in any grounds management operation. 
The sector faces an ageing workforce, and many councils risk losing valuable expertise through retirement. At the same time, the knowledge and skills required to manage green spaces are becoming increasingly complex.

Well-trained staff are better able to respond to climate challenges, identify developing issues, operate specialist equipment and implement innovative maintenance practices. Councils that invest in training and professional development are often better placed to attract and retain skilled employees while building organisational resilience.

The Grounds Management Association (GMA) plays a vital role in supporting professional development across the sector. Through industry-recognised training, qualifications, technical guidance and learning opportunities, the GMA supports grounds managers at every stage of their career, from apprentices and new entrants through to experienced practitioners, supervisors and senior leaders. Investing in continuous learning helps ensure grounds teams have the skills and confidence needed to meet the evolving challenges facing parks, sports facilities and public green spaces.

Supporting communities, health and wellbeing
Well-maintained parks and open spaces deliver benefits far beyond appearance. 

They support physical activity, grassroots sport, social interaction, mental wellbeing 
and community cohesion. They provide places where people can exercise, relax, connect with nature and participate in community activities.

At a time when public health and wellbeing remain key priorities, investment in grounds management should be viewed not simply as a maintenance expense but as an investment in healthier, more resilient communities. High-quality green spaces make a measurable contribution to quality of life and play an essential role in creating attractive, sustainable places to live.

Looking ahead
The future of local authority grounds management will require organisations to be increasingly strategic, adaptable and innovative. Financial pressures are unlikely to disappear, while climate change and rising public expectations will continue to create new challenges.

However, councils across the UK are already demonstrating that it is possible to deliver high-quality green spaces through smarter planning, targeted investment and flexible management approaches. Innovative models such as Vision Redbridge’s Community Ownership Programme show how partnership working can help sustain valued facilities, while investment in skills ensures grounds teams are equipped to meet future challenges.

By embracing sustainable practices, developing resilient landscapes and investing in people, local authorities can continue to create parks and open spaces that support communities, biodiversity and wellbeing for generations to come. 

To find out more about Grounds Management Association training and learning opportunities, visit www.thegma.org.uk.