Landscape
restoration of 5 former landfill sites – East Midlands.
Our Nottingham-based team was awarded a large contract in 2004 to restore
five former landfill sites to woodland and agricultural land-use. Work has
involved fencing, cultivation & grass-seeding, and tree & hedge planting,
as well as ongoing maintenance.
Design &
implementation of landscaping around Darts Farm Shopping Village, Exeter.
We were called in by the owners of Darts Farm to design a landscaping scheme,
at the time of a large-scale refurbishment and extension of the shopping village.
The brief was to create an amenity for visitors, an appropriate backdrop to
the architecture of the building, and to comply with the planning conditions.
Our Landscape Architect designed the scheme, and we planted the trees and
shrubs in the spring of 2004. These included nearly 100 flowering cherry standards,
several areas of native woodland, and a lavender hedge.
Stock fencing
and gates on restored coal mine – Midlands.
As part of the restoration of an open-case coal mine near Sheffield, we have
put up several miles of stock fencing. The work is part of an ongoing project
to restore the site to a mixed woodland & agricultural land-use for the
enjoyment of the local community.
Landscaping
around new sewage treatment works.
We have worked with civil engineering contractors on a number of sites throughout
the region, landscaping new sewage treatment works that have been constructed
by water companies. Often brought in at the last minute and “asked to
perform miracles” we have been responsible for grass seeding, tree planting
and habitat restoration. Contracts have usually included 3 or 5 years maintenance.
Survey &
control of Japanese knotweed – Tamar Valley.
In Summer 2004 our teams surveyed land along approx 25km of the banks of the
river Tamar, mapping clumps of invasive Japanese knotweed and Giant Hogweed.
We also chemical treated the weeds – including, in consultation with
the Environment Agency, chemical application from a dinghy on the river.
Organic rhododendron
removal on Exmoor.
This large-scale clearance of rhododendron in the National Park is on an organic
site, and so could not involve the use of chemicals. Our teams worked with
pick axes to up-root the plants on steep slopes, while we used a mini-digger
on the flat areas to dig the plants out.
Grounds maintenance
on over 1000 sites in Devon & Cornwall.
We undertake grounds maintenance for WPD (formally SWEB) on a variety of sites
throughout Devon & Cornwall. The work involves grass cutting, litter picking,
hedge cutting and reporting on site conditions. We visit 2-4 times per year.
Noxious weed
control on roadside verges.
We have a 3 year contract with Devon County Council to control noxious weeds
along some of the main roads in the county. This labour-intensive work involves
walking the road verges and spot spraying any weeds with a selective herbicide.
Ragwort control
– working quarry sites, Midlands & Central England.
Working for Hanson Aggregates, we have had a number of small contracts to
spray and pull ragwort from a variety of sites. Many of these are working
quarries and have particular health & safety implications. This work has
been part of our larger contracts with Hanson to restore their minerals sites
after working, including tree planting, fencing and seeding.
Thinning &
felling of tree blocks adjoining M32 motorway.
Our teams spent 3 weeks in the winter of 2004 / 5 thinning and felling of
tree blocks along the motorway in the centre of Bristol. We worked in the
central reservation as well as on the verges, and put complex health &
safety procedures in place to ensure safe working for our teams and the public.
Tree felling
& removal at Broadmead, Central Bristol.
As part of the site works for the new Broadmead shopping facilities in the
centre of Bristol, our teams were involved in the felling of trees and clearance
of the site. Located in the centre of the city, the contract involved a variety
of complex “urban” issues including dozens of hypodermic needles
on the site.
Veteran tree
management for Corporation of London.
Working with the Corporation of London, our Treework Services teams undertook
some high-profile technical tree surgery work on veteran trees in London in
the spring of 2005, including Retrenchment Pruning.
Removal of
large beech tree from Inland Revenue offices, Launceston.
Two of our Cornwall-based tree surgery teams joined forces for the large-scale
removal of a beech tree in the grounds of the Inland Revenue offices. A crane
was brought in and the tree dismantled safely in one day.
Woodland thinning,
pruning & path creation – Plymouth.
Following a public consultation process, in Spring 2005 our conservation teams
built new access paths into woodlands in the centre of Plymouth to enable
better access for local residents. This work complements the pruning and thinning
of young broadleaf woodland plantations that we have undertaken in the city
over the last few years, and ongoing conservation management work in the City’s
nature reserves.
Fencing on
sensitive SSSI sites in Cornwall.
Working for English Nature and local landowners, we have undertaken 5 fencing
contracts on SSSI sites over the last year. These sites have all been extremely
difficult to work, often with only pedestrian access meaning we have had to
carry all materials in by hand. The fencing is part of English Nature’s
improvement of SSSI sites, and will allow grazing management to take place.
Planting &
maintenance of young woodlands.
This winter our woodland teams have been working throughout the region, designing
& planting young woodlands. Schemes have ranged from a large broadleaved
woodland in the midlands with 45,000 plants, to a community woodland in West
Dorset and a wide variety of schemes with local landowners and farmers. We
have planted many hundreds of young woodlands over the past few years and
are happy to show prospective clients sites at various stages of development
– please ring your local office if you are interested.
Thinning,
pruning & woodland management work – Ashton Court.
We won a large, contract at competitive tender in the winter of 2005 which
was part of the ongoing restoration of the historic Ashton Court parkland.
We opened up public access routes, thinned parts of the woodland to allow
the trees to develop better and undertook vital tree safety work.
Design &
planting of The Ecotricity Forest.
Working for Ecotricity Ltd, a leading generator of renewable energy, we have
designed and planted a new woodland in the Cotswolds. The site – which
adjoins other woodlands and is designed for wildlife habitat - is a mix of
native broadleaved trees. Local school children helped with the planting in
January 2005.