MARBELLA town hall has been forced to outsource the conservation of its green areas after admitting its Parks and Gardens department is ‘woefully understaffed’.

Up to €9.9 million will be awarded to a company with a two year contract from 2018 – 2020, with the possibility of said contract being extended to 2023.

The full amount could rise to €19.8 million.

The town hall said whichever company wins the contract, it must preserve the green spaces, improve quality and reduce costs for the municipality.

It added that the current state of Marbella’s green areas as ‘leaves much to be desired’ and ‘is below the standard that would be desirable for a tourist municipality such as Marbella’.