A NEW beach cleaning contract will help North Somerset Council make savings of more than £1million.

The authority has handed a seven-year contract for beach cleaning, litter collection and tree surgery to Glendale Services.

Different contractors used to handle the responsibilities but the unified agreement will save the council the huge sum.

Glendale will also donate 25,000 plants and flowers to local community groups after landing the contract.

The move will help cut £900,000 from the budgets, with an increase in the amount of refuse being recycled rather than sent to landfill helping to save even more cash.

The authority has also stressed that there will be no dip in quality after the change.

A statement it issued said: “Core services will continue to be maintained to their current standards, so the district’s two million square metres of grass will continue to be cut and trees will still be managed to keep any risk of harm to residents and their property to a minimum.

“The council will also maintain the high level of street cleaning and sweeping in town centres and busier areas.”