Environmental Operative

Location: Warrington Council, Hawthorne Avenue, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4AL

Pay Rate: £14.21 per hour (PAYE)

Temporary Contract: Full Time, 2 - Month Temporary Assignment until 31/12/2026

Working Hours: Monday to Thursday: 7:30am - 15:30pm, Friday: 7:30am - 15:00pm

Warrington Borough Council is seeking a hardworking and reliable Environmental Operative to join their Street Services team on a full-time temporary basis for the next two months. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working outdoors and takes pride in maintaining clean, safe, and attractive public spaces across the borough.

The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting environmental maintenance, grounds care, cleansing services, and the overall upkeep of Warrington's streets, parks, and open spaces.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Litter picking across public areas and open spaces
• Emptying litter bins and maintaining cleanliness standards
• Grass cutting using pedestrian mowers and associated equipment
• Shrub pruning, planting, seeding, hoeing and weeding of beds
• Carrying out grounds maintenance activities across the borough
• Removing fly-tipping as instructed
• Assisting with refuse and recycling collection when required
• Applying herbicide treatments as directed
• Supporting tree care, planting and propagation activities
• Basic marking out and maintenance of sports pitches, including artificial surfaces
• Operating a range of hand-held and ride-on plant machinery including:
  • Strimmer's
  • Hedge trimmers
  • Backpack blowers
  • Pedestrian mowers
  • Ride-on mowing machines
  • Chainsaws (where appropriately trained)
• Completing vehicle and plant safety inspections
• Reporting defects and environmental issues including graffiti, fly-tipping and other street scene concerns
• Providing direction and support to lower graded operatives when required
• Ensuring compliance with all health and safety procedures and policies

Required Skills and Qualifications:

Full UK Driving Licence

Experience working outdoors in a physical role

Ability to operate grounds maintenance equipment safely

Good understanding of health and safety procedures

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

Strong teamwork and communication skills

Willingness to work in all weather conditions

Desirable Requirements

• Previous gardening or horticultural experience
• Grounds maintenance experience
• Experience operating plant and machinery used within environmental services
• Herbicide application experience or relevant qualifications

PPE Requirements

Applicants must provide:

• Waterproof clothing
• Steel toe-capped safety boots

Additional PPE and workwear will be supplied.

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining high standards of environmental care throughout the borough while providing a professional and courteous service to residents and visitors. A commitment to health, safety and environmental stewardship is essential.

Benefits:

To apply for the Environmental Operative position at Warrington Council, please send your cv to