£5.00 - BALI

Transcription

£5.00 - BALI

Landscape
News
WINTE R 2 014
The official Journal
of the British Association
of Landscape Industries
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In this issue:
BALI National
Landscape Awards
2014 - Full report
Becoming a BALI
Registered Designer
Meet the new
BALI Board Directors
2015 Events Calendar
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Dear Member
What an interesting start to my tenure as your
newly elected National Chairman. No sooner had
I prepared myself to start work with your COO,
Wayne Grills, than he obviously thought better of
it and was taken ill, throwing me into a mild panic
and seriously questioning what I had taken on!
The doctors say, and I quote, “Considering all
things, there is nothing seriously wrong with
Wayne”. I am extremely relieved to see him now
back to full fitness and with a strong hand on the
helm; I, too, am understandably less stressed!
Since my election at BALI’s National
AGM at Saltex, when I commented that
I wanted to do more for those members
who undertake domestic work, there has
been speculation in the press about how I
intend to keep our association united, the
inference being that I would ignore BALI’s
larger members who carry out commercial
work. This is most definitely not the case.
Yes, I come from the domestic sector and
would like to see more involvement by
domestic contractors in BALI and ensure
that the association works even harder
to help promote them to their customers.
But my intention is that both domestic and
commercial contractors should be given
more reasons and opportunities by BALI to
do more together, and benefit as a result.
BALI has run some very successful networking
events this autumn and I hope to build on
this success by working with the Landscape
House team to organise business and technical
seminars that will be of interest across the BALI
membership and the wider industry, from the
independent garden designer to the multilocation contractor. Speakers will be specialists
in their field and the subject matter will be timely
and pertinent. As is customary for some of our
larger BALI networking events, BALI Affiliates will
be given the opportunity to exhibit their products
and services to an interested and targeted
audience. Events of this nature also give BALI’s
marketing and PR team the opportunity to raise
public awareness of the BALI logo, both locally
and regionally.
I recently represented the association at the
Sustainable Green Infrastructure Conference
at the British Library, where ‘blue and green’
issues were, of course, prominent. The benefits
of a sustainable green infrastructure were
highlighted in the hope and expectation that the
government of the day will start to listen. Since
the conference I have attended two events in
connection with the All-Party Parliamentary
Gardening and Horticulture Group (APPGHG),
which is a cross-party group of politicians
from both Houses of Parliament with a specific
interest in horticulture. The talk was of how
green infrastructure in all its various forms
is highly beneficial to our general health and
wellbeing, and particularly to aiding recovery
after illness. The government is beginning to
listen but not yet acting and recognising, for
example, the importance of retaining and then
maintaining public green space, including
our public parks. In my role as BALI National
Chairman I will take every opportunity to
lobby on behalf of BALI members for greater
investment in our industry and action to address
the looming skills shortages that threaten BALI
businesses.
Our first board meeting of this ‘term’, an Affiliates
Forum and a Regional Chairs and Vice Chairs
meeting were all held recently in our excellent
new Landscape House building on Stoneleigh
Park. These were all well attended and proved
to be interesting and productive. At the Affiliates
Forum a desire to engage more with the regions
was expressed by members, as well as concern
about the likely future of transport following the
new Driver CPC regulations that could potentially
have the effect of reducing driver numbers. This
particular issue will be raised and discussed at
the next Affiliates Forum.
At the Chairs and Vice Chairs meeting one
interesting topic discussed was our industry’s
involvement with schools and colleges. The RHS
has already started work with schools; BALI
contributed to its Horticulture Matters initiative
and we will continue to give our support. With
regards to the land-based colleges, of which 14
are BALI members, it is vital that we continue
to engage fully with them. This will not only help
to ensure that they turn out people who are
immediately of use to employing companies but
also enable BALI to support students as they
leave college and enter the workplace. Whilst
at college students can enjoy free BALI student
membership provided the college itself is a
BALI Training Provider member. Free student
membership lapses, however, when students
leave college and, up to recently, BALI has not
been following up lapsed student members. We
are now in the process of putting this situation
to rights.
Quite a few BALI members already talk to
careers advisors and students in schools and
colleges but it is important that more of us
participate to ensure a steady supply of recruits
to our industry. Our new board director Nigel
Bowcock of Acre Landscapes is keen to develop
this outreach initiative and I would urge you to
throw your hat in the ring and work with him
to promote the landscape industry as a career
option in your area. Please contact Nigel via
Landscape House to find out how you can help.
The 38th BALI National Landscape Awards
have just taken place at the Grosvenor House,
Park Lane, London, and, fresh from the largest
gathering of BALI members and guests for
a number of years – c. 850! - I am full of
admiration for the award winners and for the
Landscape House and Haymarket Events teams
who put on such a magnificent spectacle.
There is a full report of the Awards in the centre
of this edition of the magazine and I will leave
you to enjoy the review and images it contains.
I simply want to offer my very sincere personal
congratulations to all the winners, with a
particular mention for the Grand Award winner,
Willerby Landscapes, who has notched up an
unprecedented fifth Grand Award. This is an
incredible achievement that is unlikely to be
surpassed for some years to come.
Finally, at the end of a busy and successful year
for the association, I would like to wish you and
your family a very Merry Christmas and hopefully
a prosperous New Year.
Best wishes.
Bob Field
BALI NATIONAL CHAIRMAN
P.S. If you want more out of YOUR association,
please talk to us. I have bob.field@bali.org.uk as
a dedicated email if you wish to correspond.
BALI Landscape News | Winter 2014 | 3
CONTENTS
WINTER 2014
CONTENTS
DESIGN & MANUFACTURE SINCE 1954
10
MEET THE NEW BALI BOARD DIRECTORS
14
CONTRACTOR NEWS
18
TRAINING & TECHNICAL
22
DESIGNER FOCUS
25
BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS 2014
30
2015 EVENTS CALENDAR
34
MEMBER BENEFITS
38
REGIONAL ROUND UP
42
PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS
50
NEW MEMBERS & TESTIMONIALS
GARDEN
STRUCTURES
ARCHES • PERGOL AS • OBELISKS
FRUIT C AGES • RAISED BEDS & PL ANTERS
FL OWER SUPPORTS • FENCING • G ATES
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Editor Denise Ewbank
BALI, Landscape House
Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG
T: 02476 690333 F: 02476 690077
Editorial and News releases
ubiquita@btinternet.com
Copy date for Spring 2015 edition
Friday 13th February
BALI Landscape News Winter 2014 is
also available online at www.bali.org.uk
Front cover image: BALI Grand Award Winner 2014: Willerby Landscapes for the transition
into legacy of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, South Park Plaza, London E20
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Wayne Grills
CHIEF OPERATIONS
OFFICER
Landscape industry
celebrates excellence
at the prestigious
BALI Awards
I am delighted that, once again, BALI
has had the opportunity to showcase
its members’ outstanding professional
achievements at the BALI National
Landscape Awards. The event at the
Grosvenor House on 5th December was a
wonderful example of an industry coming
together ‘en masse’ and celebrating because it could, and it should! This edition
of Landscape News includes a full report
and photos of the Awards ceremony.
Many of our members have reported a
considerably better year this year, continuing
the recovery that began in earnest in 2013. The
entries for this year’s BALI Awards demonstrate
the importance of using skilled professionals
to undertake landscape works, whether for a
small domestic garden or for large grounds
maintenance contracts. We have also seen an
increase in the number of new entrants in this
the 38th year of the BALI National Landscape
Awards, and the number of winning schemes
has increased by ten per cent. This illustrates
very effectively the improving quality and service
delivery that only BALI members can offer and
achieve.
I would like to take this opportunity to offer
my very sincere thanks to the Chairman of
the Adjudication Panel, Greg Allen and his
panel of industry experts for their professional
commitment to the task of selecting this year’s
Award winners. They have judged over one
hundred and ten entries at locations across the
country and given time to detailed desk studies
of all the international projects received. They
undertake an enormous amount of work on our
behalf to maintain the reputation and integrity
of the BALI Awards. Each year, the benchmark
of excellence is raised and I am delighted to say
that 2014 has been no exception. Every entry is
given their fullest attention to ensure the winners
are those BALI members most deserving of
an award. As standards overall increase, so
does the difficulty of the judges’ task and I
applaud the judges for their continued passion
and dedication. I would like to congratulate
Over 850 guests attended the 2014 BALI Awards
Awards host Michael Portillo
every BALI member who entered this year and
acknowledge the achievements of those who
have ultimately been successful, in particular
the Grand Award winner, Willerby Landscapes,
who has won the landscape industry’s ultimate
accolade for an unprecedented fifth time. Many,
many congratulations.
• RHS London Plant & Design Show
The judges and the awards process have once
again been very capably co-ordinated and
project managed by Angela Donovan. Without
her passion and commitment the awards
process would not have run so smoothly, so a
huge thank you to Angela!
•Saltex
Member Engagement
We have also attended and presented at a
number of company events put on by BALI
members across the year and I would like
to thank those members for affording us the
opportunity to promote BALI and its work to their
employees, suppliers and clients.
We have had an extremely busy year this year,
working on behalf of all BALI members. As we
bring this year to a close it is worth reminding
ourselves of just some of the successes of 2014:
• Success with ELCA in gaining a 100km and
7.5 tonne concession for the requirement of a
tachograph
• BALI back on PQQ and Tender lists
• BALI achieved Investors in People core
standard
• Silver-Gilt medals for BALI gardens at
Harrogate and Tatton Park shows
• BALI Health and Safety course recognised
by UKCG
• Lobbying within the Parks Alliance
• BALI-NCF held two very successful
workshops
• The second of an annual meeting arranged
with the Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs, The Rt Hon Elizabeth
Truss MP
• Development and launch of a Skills
Framework for Landscaping with Lantra
• Successful promotion of BALI members at a
range of shows and exhibitions
• Development of a new BALI website due to be
launched in early 2015
Shows and exhibitions include:
•Ecobuild
• Harrogate Spring Flower Show
• RHS Chelsea Flower Show
• RHS Tatton Park Flower Show
• Gardening Scotland
•Landscape
• Palmstead Workshop
• Landscape Live
•FutureScape
In addition, we have secured:
• A 43% increase in visits to the BALI website
year on year
• A 17% increase in unique visits to the
BALI website
• A 21% increase in both page views and
unique page views
Political Lobbying
We have been working hard this year to make
the most of our membership of the All-Party
Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group
(APPGHG). Both I and members of the BALI
board have been attending a wide range of
events that place BALI in front of government
ministers and parliamentarians. These
include my planned meeting with the Rt Hon
Elizabeth Truss MP – Secretary of State for the
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – to raise
a number of pressing issues on behalf of BALI
members. We were also delighted that Baroness
Fookes, the APPGHG’s Chairman, was able to
join us at the BALI National Landscape Awards
for the first time and hope that she now has a
lasting impression of the excellence achieved by
BALI member companies.
BALI garden at the Harrogate
Spring Flower Show
BALI garden at RHS Tatton Park
Affiliates Forum
A very well attended and successful BALI
Affiliates Forum was held on 21st October
2014 under the chairmanship of Nigel Coultas
of Hedges Direct, who is also a BALI board
member. The main speaker was Sarah Williams
from BRE (Building Research Establishment)
who gave an introduction to BREEAM. She
explained how landscaping products can
affect a BREEAM assessment and how Affiliate
members could best promote their products
to landscape architects and specifiers with
BREEAM scoring in mind. In addition to Sarah’s
presentation I gave members an update on
the changes within BALI, and our PR Manager
(and editor of BALI Landscape News) Denise
Ewbank ran a session on ‘getting the most out
of exhibiting’. Shaw Pye, BALI’s Sales Officer,
provided attendees with further details on the
BALI Membership Referral Scheme.
Phase 2 product is nearing completion and the
cross-association group working on the project
is hoping to launch the e-learning module on
12th January. We will of course inform members
as soon as this is accessible.
For contractors and those working in the wider
horticulture and amenity horticulture industry,
the training will deliver best practice on water
conservation, and recognise the learning
achieved. Should a business complete the
training successfully they will be considered for
exemption from a future TUB (temporary use
ban) by the water company seeking to impose
it. Whilst no guarantees can be provided by the
water companies at this stage, this is certainly
a positive step forward. To support the large,
diverse and geographically dispersed learner
base, the training is designed to be delivered
on-line in an e-learning format.
The commitment to the training was
demonstrated by the industry, who invested in
the initial scoping of the e-learning, and by the
water companies, who invested financially in the
development and build of the end product.
The benefits to the industry will be to:
• Reassure water companies that the target
sector is responsible with water use. Trained
and certificated companies could be
considered for business exemptions from
future Temporary Use Bans;
• Generate measureable and incremental water
savings through adoption of water efficient
best practice, techniques and equipment;
Members at the Affiliates Forum
Update on Certificate in Water
Conservation – e-learning module
launch imminent
BALI, along with a range of industry bodies,
has continued to meet with the seven water
companies and other organisations such as
Water UK and Waterwise. Further to my update
in the autumn edition of Landscape News, I am
pleased to report that the development of the
• Help stimulate trade and professional bodies
to develop wider contingency plans for times
of water shortage;
• Provide legacy materials that catalyse long
term and widespread behavioural change
on water efficiency amongst the wider
population;
• Provide a training model that is sustainable,
cost effective and accessible. In future this
could be extended to, or replicated by, other
industry sectors;
• Foster a constructive relationship with the
landscape, sports and garden industries for
future water efficiency and communication
activities.
The e-learning will comprise around 40
minutes of learning followed by an assessment,
which, if successful, will enable the learner to
download and print a certificate immediately.
This certificate can support an individual or
business to be considered for exemption by
one of the collaborating water companies
when a Temporary Use Hosepipe Ban (TUB) is
implemented.
Staff movements
Since my last update
Carly Button has joined
Emily Feeney in the role
of Membership Officer.
Carly replaced Charlotte
Davies who was on a fixed
contract with BALI whilst
waiting to take up her
place on a teacher training
programme. ‘Miss Davies’
is now enjoying her training
for her new vocation immensely and we wish her
continued success.
We shall see another new face in the team soon
as Jaswinder Kaur, our Accounts Officer, will be
starting her maternity leave in December. We
would like to wish her all the very best and look
forward to seeing her new baby.
Finally, and on behalf of the entire team at
Landscape House, I would like to wish you and
your family a happy festive season and your
business every success in 2015, success in
which I hope BALI can play its part.
Best wishes.
Wayne Grills
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
National AGM
at SALTEX 2014
With Saltex moving to the NEC,
Birmingham, in 2015, and taking place later
in the year in November, BALI’s National
AGM took place on 3rd September for
what was probably the last time at Windsor
Racecourse. Fifty BALI members attended.
During the formal business of the meeting,
BALI Board Director Richard Stone explained
that BALI had operated for the past year
without a treasurer, working instead with
BALI’s accountant Chris Philips to ensure the
association’s financial situation continued to
strengthen. In the event, for the year to 31st
March 2014, costs had been well managed,
membership numbers and ROLO and LISS/
CSCS registrations had increased, and a
small surplus of £16,000 had been achieved
as a result. The largest expenditure in 2014/15
will be the new BALI website but payback is
expected over the next five years as new online
advertising opportunities are made available
on the site. In summary Richard confirmed that
the past financial year had been a positive one
for the association. In response to a question
regarding an apparent increase in rent costs
prior to the move to the new, smaller building,
Richard confirmed that the move to the new
Landscape House premises would bring
an immediate saving in rates and insurance
costs. The proposal to accept and approve
the Financial Accounts for the year ending 31st
March 2014 was passed unanimously.
the board and BALI members for his invaluable
service to the association. Board members
Stuart Simpson, Neil Huck and Martyn Mogford
offered themselves for re-election and this was
carried unanimously.
The new Chairman thanked members for their
support and expressed his personal thanks and
that of the board and membership to Chris Carr
for all that he had achieved during his time in the
role of National Chairman.
Two vacancies had arisen on the board and
Janine Pattison MBALI and Nigel Bowcock
were duly elected. Janine is a BALI Registered
designer and Nigel is the owner and managing
director of Acre Landscapes. The Board
thanked BALI members Margaret McNeil
(OnSite Training UK), Chris Deakin MBALI
(DeakinLock) and Gill Tacchi (Robin Tacchi
Plants) for putting themselves forward for
election and expressed a hope that they
would make their experience available to their
respective BALI regions.
During Any Other Business, BALI member
James Seymour of Seymour Landscapes
once again raised his concerns for the design
and build contractors within BALI, like himself,
who he believes are at a serious disadvantage
because of the way the BALI website allows
potential clients to search – i.e. for a Registered
Designer, for a Registered Contractor, but not
for a company that provides both disciplines.
Following the arguments put forward in favour
of a Design and Build category of membership
by James, and a discussion around the potential
issues it would present, the new Chairman
invited him to a meeting at Landscape House
to discuss the matter in detail. It was suggested
and agreed that other companies should be
invited to the meeting to ensure a balanced
perspective of all aspects raised and discussed.
Chris Carr then stepped down as National
Chairman, handing his chain of office to Robert
Field who now assumes the role. Officers of the
Association are:
Robert Field – National Chairman
Paul Downer – Vice Chairman/Chair Elect
Wayne Grills – Chief Operations Officer
The position of Treasurer will be addressed by
the board at a later date.
The proposal for a mandate from the members
to increase fees by up to 3% year on year
was carried by a vote of 42 for and 18 against
and members were assured that the increase
would not necessarily be 3% each year but
any figure up to and including 3%. However,
following questions put to the Board at the
meeting by members Phil Jones (ISS) and
Kevin Copping (Buckland Landscapes) it was
agreed that this vote would relate to the 2015/16
membership year only and that justification for
future increases would always be provided to
members.
Board director Paul Cowell stood down from the
board and did not seek re-election. Chris Carr,
National Chairman, thanked him on behalf of
Chris Carr, Bob Field, Paul Downer and Paul Cowell
The formal business of the AGM completed,
Wayne Grills gave a brief overview of the
association’s activities and achievements
before members were invited to stay for lunch.
The minutes of the AGM are available from
Landscape House; please email:
kirsty.wood@bali.org.uk
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TG0202 BALI CS ad.indd 1
29/10/2014 09:29
Meet the new BALI board directors
Janine
Pattison
MBALI MSGD
BALI Board
Member with
responsibility for
Designer membership
Janine has been interested in plants and
gardens for as long as she can remember
and after a five year short service
commission in the British Army she took
advantage of the opportunity to train in
horticulture and garden design.
She joined English Heritage and worked in
the grounds of Eltham Palace, an amazing 20
acre estate in South East London. Here she
developed her knowledge of plants and planting
design while having long discussions with the
Head Gardener about the merits of various plants
and planting combinations.
On returning to Dorset in 2002, she continued
her studies in horticulture and garden design at
Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester and
Sparsholt College in Winchester and, at the same
time, launched Janine Pattison Studios with her
partner, Denise Wright. The practice has grown
steadily and is now a team of seven experienced
and passionate designers and horticulturists.
They have won a number of national awards,
including three BALI Design Excellence Awards.
This year they won the award for National
Landscape of the Year in the New Homes
Gardens Awards.
Nigel
Bowcock
Nigel has been in the
landscape industry for 31
years and has been a BALI
member since 1988. He
currently runs Acre Landscapes Limited,
which specialise in the construction and
maintenance of high quality soft landscape
projects across the British Isles.
Nigel joined Hasmead Plc in 1989 and in the 19
years up to 2008 he helped make Hasmead a
major player in soft landscape construction as a
director and part owner of the company. During
that time Hasmead completed some of the
country’s highest profile landscaping projects,
including Legoland in Windsor, Heathrow
Terminal 5 and Green Park, Reading.
Nigel purchased Acre Landscapes, a small
grounds maintenance company with a
reasonable turnover, as a going concern in
2008. Since then the company has developed
organically, thanks to a strong, committed team
of multi-skilled staff who share a love of the
landscape, and in just six years its turnover has
increased by over 400 per cent. Amongst Acre’s
many successful projects are Heathrow Terminal
2, The Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park, Chelsea
Creek, Cottons Centre, Greenwich Peninsula,
and the Cutty Sark Gardens.
Nigel’s work has won seven RHS Chelsea
Flower Show medals dating back to 1992 and
many BALI awards, including two BALI Grand
The practice designs a wide variety of
gardens but they are probably best known
for contemporary, urban gardens often on
challenging sites due to access, levels or coastal
exposure problems. The hard landscaping is very
important to Janine’s schemes and she works
with a number of excellent BALI Registered
contractors and BALI Affiliate suppliers to help
realise the designs.
Designing planting and lighting schemes for is
a particular interest of Janine’s and she enjoys
sharing her passion for gardens, plants and
landscape design. She speaks regularly at
gardening and horticulture society meetings as
well as industry events like FutureScapes.
Janine became a Registered Member of the
Society of Garden Designers in 2008 and a BALI
Registered Designer the following year. She
was elected to the BALI Board in September
at the National AGM and now holds the BALI
Designer Membership portfolio. BALI currently
has 45 Designer members across the country
and Janine hopes to see this number increase
over the next couple of years. “I plan to organise
some events specifically for designers and would
be happy to receive suggestions for suitable
topics or speakers. A survey has recently
been circulated to the Designer members
to gather their feedback and suggestions.
BALI membership does offer a wide range of
benefits and I am keen to make sure that people
are aware of these and explore areas where
additional benefits could be added.”
Janine can be contacted at
janine.pattison@bali.org.uk
Awards with Hasmead. He has a keen interest in
champion trees and their inhabitants and holds
Life Membership of the Tree Register.
Despite an already illustrious career in the
landscape industry, Nigel is the first to admit
that he left school with few qualifications. Once
in the workplace he studied at Rodbaston in
Staffordshire and then at the Welsh College of
Horticulture where he gained an NCH, ANCH
and a National Diploma. Returning to study after
several years of working his way up the industry
ladder he graduated from Writtle College in
Essex in 1999 with an MSc in Landscape
Management. His other industry accreditations
include IOSH, CPCS, CSCS, ROLO and IFF.
In his new role as a BALI board director, Nigel
intends to make a difference to the numbers of
young people joining the industry. He is keen
to promote landscape construction as a career
option to school, college and university leavers
across Britain. With far too few people joining
the industry Nigel wants to lead and encourage
industry leaders to go into schools and colleges
to promote all things horticultural as a career
and will set up a network of industry employers
keen to engage a supply stream of interested
youngsters from all backgrounds who can be
encouraged to enter the industry with a mapped
out apprenticeship-based career path tailored to
their needs and interests. If you feel able to help
Nigel with this important work, please email him
at nigel.bowcock@bali.org.uk.
Despite his absorbing passion for horticulture
and nature in general, Nigel still finds time for
walking, running (two marathons so far), football
and fishing!
Society of Garden
Designers appoints
new chair
The Society of Garden Designers (SGD)
has appointed Philippa O’Brien MSGD as
its new Chair. Philippa took up the role
in November, replacing Juliet Sargeant
MSGD who stepped down after two
fruitful years as Chair and a long-standing
commitment to the SGD Council.
A Registered Member of the SGD since 2006,
Philippa joined the Society more than 20 years
ago and is currently a member of the SGD
Council.
In addition to running her own garden design
practice, Philippa is an active member of
her local Beekeepers Association and is an
enthusiastic allotment holder. Speaking of her
appointment she said: “The SGD covers an
extraordinarily diverse and talented range of
individuals, being chosen to represent them is a
huge honour. Thankfully I don’t have to do this
alone, but with the amazing team that make up
our Council.”
Philippa takes up the role as the Society
prepares for its 3rd annual award ceremony,
which will be held in London in January 2015.
She will also be guiding many initiatives into
2015 including a revision of the SGD website,
the introduction of a new stand for RHS Chelsea
and the launch of the first SGD book.
Commenting on the Society at the
announcement of her appointment she said:
“The Society has come a long way in the thirty
or so years since it was formed. The challenges
garden designers face are continually changing,
ranging from new plant diseases to changes in
Health and Safety regulations. The SGD is here
to help our members meet these challenges.
We want to show off their achievements, and
encourage and support new talent in our
industry.”
One of Philippa’s first engagements as the new
SGD Chair was to attend the BALI National
Landscape Awards on 5th December as a guest
of the BALI board.
Philippa O’Brien MSGD
Investment in
playgrounds
falling despite
children’s
obesity crisis
Government policymakers are failing to
recognise the value of play in tackling
children’s catastrophic obesity and
physical inactivity levels, says the
Association of Play Industries (API).
According to latest figures from API member
companies, order values for playgrounds and
play equipment in the UK fell by six per cent
between the second and third quarters of 2014,
from £43.8 million in Q2 to £41 million in Q3.
Total order values in the first nine months of
2014 were £128.1 million compared with £128.8
million at the same point last year, a drop of
0.5 per cent. The API blames the play market
downturn on financial pressures in the core
Local Authority sector, traditionally the UK’s
biggest play buying market.
£18 million of National Lottery funding from
Sport England to improve the outdoor facilities
of 600 primary schools across England has
so far failed to make a significant impact on
the play market, despite many API members
winning contracts to install new facilities.
However, it may contribute to a more optimistic
Image courtesy of Timberplay
end of year; total order values for API member
companies in 2014 are set to be £164 million.
This is a one per cent increase on 2013 levels
(£162 million) but is 17 per cent below the 2010
market peak of £198 million when political
support for play was at its highest.
API Chair Michael Hoenigmann says: “There
has never been a greater need to increase
children’s activity levels, yet the UK play market
faces significant challenges from constrained
Local Authority budgets and a lack of political
will. Today’s children will live shorter lives than
their parents unless we tackle obesity and
sedentary lifestyles. It’s time for policymakers
to acknowledge that investment in welldesigned, high-quality public play provision will
bring long-term health, economic and societal
benefits. This is about more than swings and
roundabouts; it’s about our children’s future.”
One area where the API does expect to see
market growth in 2015 is from commercial play
buyers like hospitality and tourism businesses,
looking to attract more families.
The API is the lead trade body within the
UK play sector, representing approximately
85 per cent of UK play industry companies
including manufacturers, installers, designers
and distributors of outdoor and indoor play
equipment and safety surfacing. It campaigns
at the highest levels for policy recognition of
the value of play. Play buyers include local
authorities, town and parish councils, schools
and nurseries, the NHS and MoD, housebuilders
and developers, holiday and theme park
operators, and pub and restaurant chains.
www.api-play.org
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German projects
awarded
International
ELCA prize
At the 21st GaLaBau exhibition held in
Nuremburg in September the European
Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA)
awarded the international trend prize
‘Building with Green’ 2014 to two German
commercial flagship landscaping projects.
ELCA President Emmanuel Mony presented
the two awards for the ‘Gardens of
ALTATEC’ and ‘Kreissparkasse Ahrweiler’
schemes.
In his speech, Mony said: “As awarding authority
for the international trend prize we are convinced
of the value of commercial green areas, which
are not only rich from the point of view of
landscape gardening but also economically.
This year we have selected these two
projects as they are excellent examples of the
transformation of company sites into commercial
local recreation areas for staff members and
customers.”
The Gardens of ALTATEC
Kreissparkasse Ahrweiler
The examples of ALTATEC and Kreissparkasse
Ahrweiler demonstrate that quality-designed
exterior landscaping can serve as a company’s
green business card whilst the use of interior
plants and landscaping creates a comfortable
working environment for staff.”
The biennial awards acknowledge the
professional achievements of landscape
contractors, landscape architects and landscape
gardeners. The international trend prize ‘Building
with Green’ rewards projects with especially
unique design qualities, and other features
such as the quality of construction, selection
of plants and other landscape-related aspects;
this is also designed to support interdisciplinary
cooperation.
ELCA and BGL decided to award the 2014 trend
prize to the two exemplary projects to underline
the importance of commercial landscaping in
modern urban development. ELCA President
Mony pointed out: “It is our aim to inform
the public and companies of the possibilities
presented by the greening of commercial
buildings, which, in addition to the greening
of public facilities like schools, hospitals and
administrative buildings, is an indispensable
element of today’s urban development policy.
The Gardens of ALTATEC – The designing
of the 26,000 m² of exterior landscaping at
ALTATEC GmbH in Wimsheim started in 2004
and continued in two building phases until
2013. From the very beginning the design of the
gardens focused on the creation of a recreation
zone for staff and an experience for ALTATEC’s
numerous visitors. The landscape architect
designed five fields of development linked by
two interesting and aesthetically appealing
promenades in a north-south direction. Cross
connections in an east-west direction mark
and limit each individual area, which include
the buildings, open spaces, parking zones and
quiet areas. By linking and defining the individual
New ‘open source’
software makes
estimating tree
canopy cover
easier
percentage of trees and woodlands with other
green infrastructure or with the percentage of
land covered by buildings. You can use it to
assess changes in canopy cover over several
years, by repeating the survey using past aerial
images if they are available to your borough.
It will also help with recording and monitoring
progress on meeting targets for increasing
canopy cover”.
The London Tree Officers Association
(LTOA), with the support of the Greater
London Authority, has devised a
straightforward means of estimating tree
canopy cover in the London boroughs. The
tool is called OSCCA, which stands for
Open Source Canopy Cover Audit.
For more information contact Becky Porter,
LTOA Executive Officer, on 07771 976238 or
email executive.officer@ltoa.org.uk.
OSCCA allows users to generate random
points on aerial images and then classify them
according to land cover, (trees, roads, water,
etc.). This quickly enables a reliable estimate of
the tree canopy cover to be created. The LTOA
is now asking all London boroughs to complete
and return a borough baseline canopy cover
survey as this will be beneficial for boroughs
as well as gathering London-wide information.
For further information visit the LTOA website at
www.ltoa.org.uk.
Richard Edwards, Chair of the LTOA, said
“OSCCA will allow you to compare the
The LTOA provides an information network for
the exchange of views, experiences and ideas
areas the commercial zone was turned into a
clearly arranged unit, which allows for the stepby-step development and extension of future
building projects. The materials used include
striking black basalt pebbles from the Bonn
region. Diagonal rock saddles and grass lines
are the leading motif of the design. Spaceforming plant arrangements (e.g. within the
cafeteria garden with steps towards the west,
the west main entrance etc.) were achieved by
the planting of various hedges, including Taxus
baccata (common yew). The extensive parking
area to the south of the site has a tree ‘roof’ of
45 maple trees.
Kreissparkasse Ahrweiler – As part of a
programme of re-building and refurbishment, the
850m2 of exterior grounds of the Kreissparkasse
bank building in Ahrweiler have been
landscaped to create a freely accessible green
refuge for staff, customers and members of the
public. The refurbishment of the area included
the construction of an impressive basalt and
wood deck adjacent to the existing pond,
forming an impressive feature with attractive
grasses and perennials that provide year round
interest.
Information on the winning schemes, including
details of the landscape architects and
contractors, can be found on the ELCA website
at www.elca.info
on trees and the management of London’s
Urban Forest. The Association dates back to
1982 and aims to enhance the management of
the capital’s trees and woodlands. It involves
local authority Tree Officers in all 33 London
Boroughs, an associate membership of a
wide range of tree professionals and those
who manage and care for trees. The LTOA is
funded by London
Boroughs and
associate member
subscriptions and
is hosted by the
London Borough of
Camden.
The LTOA have produced the following best practice guidance:
Massaria
http://www.ltoa.org.uk/
resources/massaria-diseaseof-plane-mdp
Trees do more than you
think leaflet
resources/trees-do-morethan-you-think
Oak Processionary
Moth (OPM)
Risk Limitation Strategy
for tree root claims
http://www.ltoa.org.
uk/resources/oakprocessionary-moth
http://www.ltoa.org.uk/resources/
risk-limitation-strategy
Dog damage to trees
Sustainable water
management
resources/dog-damageto-trees
http://www.ltoa.org.uk/resources/
sustainable-water-management
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Three Nations acquire Fullcircle
to offer the complete package
BALI grounds maintenance contractor
Fullcircle Total Facilities Management and
Three Nations Ltd announced recently that
the two companies have now merged. They
will remain registered as Three Nations Ltd
but trade as Fullcircle in an aim to create
one brand-united voice.
Three Nations Ltd is the UK’s largest
independent drinks dispenser service provider,
carrying out approximately 150,000 service
calls a year. Fullcircle, in addition to its grounds
maintenance services, provides building and
electrical maintenance, security and cleaning.
CEO Marc Eckley believes the merger will
provide a one-stop-shop service to the public
and private sector: “I want to provide a service
to our customers that takes the hassle out
of their day. No longer will they have to find
different companies to provide solutions for all
their property maintenance needs and drinks
dispense services, just one phone call to
Fullcircle and we can do the rest.”
Fullcircle was formed in 2002 and is based in
Cardiff. It services private and public sector
clients across the range of property sectors
including commercial, education, healthcare,
industrial, residential and retail. Facilities
management is one of the fastest growing
professions in the UK and this trend has been
demonstrated by the growth of Fullcircle since
its formation. Merging with Three Nations, and
with 22 depots across the country, Fullcircle
is now able to provide a nationwide facilities
management service.
www.fullcircle-tfm.co.uk
Blooming
Bournville Green
wins Green Flag
Award
Bournville Village Green has been awarded
the coveted Keep Britain Tidy Green Flag
Award, a scheme that recognises and
rewards the best green spaces in the
country. The Village Green, which sits at
the heart of the Bournville conservation
area in South Birmingham, was among a
record-breaking 1,476 parks and green
spaces that received the award this year.
The Village Green has changed very little over
the years, largely thanks to the hard work and
investment of Bournville Village Trust (BVT)
and the Team at Bournville Village Landscapes
(BVL), a BALI Direct Service Organisation. BVT
was established by George Cadbury in 1900,
not as a single-handed attempt to solve all
Birmingham’s social problems, but in the hope
he could prove that good quality housing in a
natural, green environment was a necessity
for the greater good of society. He challenged
the thinking of the day and sought to change
current attitudes by practical example. The
Green Flag award is testament to George’s
vision to create flourishing communities where
people choose to live - a vision that lives on
today.
BVT has a worldwide reputation for high quality
housing and estate management services,
which are integral to its mission to build
sustainable communities. From the beginning,
the Bournville Estate provided houses and
gardens for people of all kinds - with green
open spaces, local shops and community
centres always being a key feature. The Village
Green itself is surrounded by many interesting
buildings, which makes it so important to the
Bournville community. The centre piece is
The Rest House, now a listed building, which
was paid for by Cadbury workers to celebrate
George and Elizabeth Cadbury’s silver wedding
anniversary on 19th June 1913.
The Village Green is used extensively by visitors
and the local community and hosts events
such as the Birmingham Jazz Festival and the
Christmas Eve Carol Service and is recognised
by everyone as Bournville’s “Jewel in the
Crown”.
Lloyd Gower, Bournville Village Landscape’s
manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted
to receive a Green Flag Award for Bournville
Village Green for the first time from Keep Britain
Tidy. This Award recognises and highlights that
people in Bournville are benefitting from a green
space of the very highest quality”.
Commenting on their success, Duncan
Cadbury, Chairman of BVT said, “This award
really does recognise and celebrate our
Green. It forms such an important part of our
community and I think it is right and fitting to be
acknowledged in this way. We are committed
to preserving the Green for future generations
to come.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award scheme
manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to
announce yet another record-breaking year
for Green Flag Awards for parks and green
spaces. A Green Flag Award provides national
recognition for all the parks managers, staff and
volunteers who, through their dedication and
hard work, have helped to create these fantastic
places for everyone to enjoy. Quality green
spaces are a vital resource for communities and
that is why it is so significant that we have given
out more awards than ever before.”
www.bvt.org.uk
ISS awarded
Met Office gold
standard for
winter gritting
BALI contractor ISS Facility Services
Landscaping has been awarded the Met
Office Gold Level Quality Mark for winter
gritting. The Met Office Quality Mark is
the only such mark in the industry.
ISS has continued to invest in its winter
maintenance services. Employees are properly
trained by meteorological experts to utilise the
most accurate and reliable forecast information
from the world-leading weather and climate
experts.
Each year, ISS delivers a continually expanding
national winter gritting and snow clearance
operation from multiple locations all over the
country and it is a significant area of focus,
growth and investment for the company. In
2013, a bespoke Winter Gritting Database
was developed to streamline and control the
service, and this was further supported by the
introduction of highly-trained Winter Gritting
Champions.
Richard Stedall, Account Manager (Road &
Rail), Met Office, said “We have been working
closely with ISS for a number of years now and
they are one of our fastest growing customers
in the Independent Gritting market. The gold
level Quality Mark is only issued to those
few companies who commit to continually
developing and improving the service they offer
through our OpenSite forecast and the training
of their staff, ensuring the safety of staff and
visitors to their customers’ sites over the winter
months.”
Phil Jones, Managing Director, ISS Facility
Services Landscaping said “ISS has been
working in partnership with the Met office
for over a decade now using the OpenSite
forecasting tool, which has allowed us to tailor
our service to the local situation avoiding
needless attendances. Our winter gritting and
snow clearance service ensures our customers
stay open for business and that their staff
and visitors are safe. The gold standard is
the highest tier of the Quality Mark scheme
and it will serve to differentiate ISS from its
competitors by providing reassurance to our
customers that winter gritting decisions are
made using the most accurate forecasts.”
www.isslandscaping.co.uk
Forest School
‘Play Day’ at
The Leys, Witney
Town Council
Quadron and
volunteers give
Wexham Hospital’s
gardens some TLC
Twenty corporate volunteers from O2
Telefonica joined the Quadron team in
the grounds of Wexham Park Hospital
in Slough in September to carry out
improvements to the hospital’s kitchen
courtyard and garden. The day was part
of a programme of corporate volunteering
events organised at the hospital by
Quadron’s Development Team, the
hospital’s Fund Raising and Volunteers
Manager, Mike Stone, and the Slough
Business Community Partnership (SBCP).
Under the guidance of the Quadron team,
the volunteers set to work clearing weeds
from the courtyard’s brick paving, re-planting
pots and planters and fixing new wooden
edging around the shrub bed. The plants
and materials were funded by O2 under their
‘Day of Caring’ scheme, with some additional
plants also being donated by Quadron via
the RHS Re-use Scheme. BALI contractor
Quadron also provided tools and PPE and gave
demonstrations for their safe use.
The volunteers worked extremely hard and by
the end of the afternoon the courtyard had been
transformed into a tidier, more welcoming space
for the hospital’s staff, patients and visitors.
This event was followed by another successful
volunteer session a week later, with a six-person
team from Mars Chocolate UK. The enthusiastic
team spent the afternoon in the Paragon Suite
Courtyard at the hospital where they worked
with the Quadron team to prune shrubbery,
replant planters and lay a Mypex weed-proof
membrane to the shrub beds.
Andrew Kauffman, Quadron’s Corporate
Development Manager, who has organised and
led many of the volunteering sessions, says of
the programme to date: “Working in partnership
with the NHS Hospital Trust and Slough
Business Partnership, Quadron’s Development
Team has been able to prioritise tasks in key
courtyards throughout Heatherwood and
Wexham Park Hospital, making improvements
to both hard and soft landscapes.
“The improvements that have been made so far
with input from corporate volunteers have been
amazing and make a real difference to these
areas, which are used by patients, hospital staff
and visitors alike, and so improve the hospital
experience for all.”
Every year, Witney Town Council in
Oxfordshire supports National Play Day,
which celebrates children and young
people’s right to play freely in their
communities. This year BALI contractor
Gavin Jones supported their client at the
event on Wednesday 29th October.
Oxfordshire Play Association, along with other
partners, organises Play Day events across the
county – entry and all activities are completely
free of charge. Babies, children and teenagers
and their families/carers have the opportunity
to come along and play, using their own
imaginations to take the play in whichever
direction they wish. The event celebrates
children and young people’s right to play freely.
Connecting children with nature and trading
computer screen time for time in the great
outdoors is a well debated topic. Gavin Jones
is working with schools to build outdoor
classrooms designed to inspire individuals of
any age through positive outdoor experiences.
www.gavinjones.co.uk
Quadron is continuing to work in partnership
with the hospital and Slough Business
Community Partnership to co-ordinate an
ongoing programme of corporate volunteering
events, including working with N20 to transform
an area outside the paediatric unit into a country
scene, complete with (wooden) sheep!
www.quadronservices.co.uk
When Philip Howard gave up his steady teaching
job in 1970 and told his friends that he was going to
design and build gardens, they all thought he was mad.
Undeterred, he set out to arm himself with a diploma
from Merrist Wood College and then, in 1974, founded
Graduate Gardeners with his brother in law. As both
were Oxbridge graduates they thought the name would
set them a cut above the rest.
Graduate Gardeners
40 glorious years
The early days
One of the company’s RHS Gold Medal winning and ‘Best in Show’ gardens
Forty years on and BALI contractor
Graduate Gardeners is now
Gloucestershire’s premier landscape
design, construction and maintenance
company, with over forty employees,
including four in-house designers.
The infant company soon blossomed and with
the help of Stuart Gibbs, a fellow student from
Merrist Wood, Graduate Gardeners became a
regular exhibitor on Main Avenue at the RHS
Chelsea Flower Show, constructing show
gardens for other designers and designing
and building their own projects. Over a 25 year
period the company accumulated numerous
RHS medals, including six Gold.
The company joined BALI early on and they
were actively involved in regional events, taking
on chairmanships and enjoying the support of a
national organisation. Graduate Gardeners are
regular entrants for the BALI National Landscape
Awards and, to date, have won ten Design &
Build awards.
In 1984 the company moved into a purposebuilt, and beautifully landscaped, yard and
nursery on a three acre site in the village of
Bisley in the Cotswolds. Business flourished
and the new yard allowed the company to stock
the full range of landscaping products as well
as growing some 40,000 plants in over 700
varieties in the nursery. This enabled them to
provide the very best quality plants whenever
they were needed.
Graduate Gardeners’ motto has always been
to give a little more, and to ‘do it right and
only do it once’, however long that may take.
And so, with quality as their watchword, the
company gained a reputation for delivering
gardens with an outstanding level of service
and attention to detail.
‘Grads’, as it affectionately known by most of
the landscapers in the area who have, almost
without exception, all worked there at some
time, usually during the formative stages of their
careers, has always been about learning and
teaching. There was always a flow of middle
year students from horticultural colleges and
the company had properties for them to live
in. These students (including former BALI
National Chairman Paul Cowell) started at the
bottom as ‘No.3s’, working their way up to
become site foremen and then ‘graduating’
into the office and design room. This is the real
strength in the design team, as the company’s
designers not only have formal qualifications
but have also all earned their spurs out on site,
getting their hands dirty! This ensures their
designs are buildable, practical and, of course,
outstandingly beautiful.
When Philip Howard retired in 2003, Charles
Price and Mark Draper - another Merrist Wood
graduate with 11 years of Grads service already
under his belt - took on the business and have
driven it forward to new heights. They now run
six landscaping teams, each led by a highly
experienced site foreman, with as many projects
on the go at any one time, as well as a further
ten skilled staff working on the maintenance
side. The company has stuck with the domestic
landscaping market, finding this far more
rewarding than the commercial sector, and has
enjoyed entering projects annually for the BALI
awards, winning 18, including four Principal
Awards, since 2008. Many recent projects have
The Graduate Gardeners team today
exceeded the £1 million mark and the order
book has remained healthy, sometimes too
much so, as a Graduate garden becomes the
hallmark of quality in the Cotswolds.
Rather than fund the excesses of a Chelsea
garden, the company has opted to design
and build gardens for the RHS Malvern Spring
Show, where they have won six Gold medals
and five ‘Best in Show’ gardens in a row. They
are able to fund these themselves and can
‘sleep in their own beds at night’, which makes
it a far less logistically challenging exercise. With
nearly 100,000 potential customers coming
through the showground, the Malvern Spring
Show has proved to be a valuable showcase for
their gardens.
The business model for the company has
changed somewhat with the nursery proving
uneconomical to operate on such a small
scale and the loading and transporting of small
quantities of materials also proving unfeasible.
Therefore, each foreman now has a Mitsubishi
Warrior, with the accent being on getting men
to site quickly and comfortably, while allowing
suppliers to transport the materials, in their time
and at their cost.
In this, the company’s 40th year, Graduates
have not only won a Gold Medal and Best
in Show at RHS Malvern but also four BALI
National Landscape Awards. To celebrate this
achievement and forty years of excellence,
managing director Charles Price took the whole
company to the BALI awards ceremony, where
they received another Principal award and
Special Award for Design and Build.
www.graduategardeners.co.uk
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50 years’ service
inspires apprentices
years. By linking Terry’s achievement with the
Apprenticeships Workshop, the company hoped
to inspire and motivate their existing and potential
apprentices.
service. I honestly love my job and if I could do
another fifty years I would. There are not a lot of
people who can say that and I am blessed to feel
this way.”
John O’Conner’s chairman, directors and existing
and potential apprenticeship candidates were
present to honour Terry as he was presented with
a Davidia involucrata (handkerchief tree) from the
company, chosen by him and planted in Clarence
Park as part of the presentation.
Following the presentation the Mayor and Jon
Green joined the John O’Conner Apprenticeships
Workshop at the Pavilion in the Park to inspire
young applicants with details of their own career
progression. The Apprenticeships Workshop
is run by John O’Conner to recruit their new
apprentices and give them an insight to what
the company and the horticulture industry has to
offer. The company’s founder and chairman, John
O’Conner, also described how he had developed
the company over the last 45 years, illustrating
to the candidates the career and progression
opportunities available in the industry for those
with drive and ambition.
The Mayor, Cllr Geoff Harrison, thanked Terry for
his service and contribution to St Albans:
BALI contractor John O’Conner Grounds
Maintenance, based in Welwyn,
Hertfordshire, arranged a special
presentation by the Mayor of St Albans
City District at the commencement of their
annual Apprenticeships Workshop Day at
Clarence Park, St Albans, in September.
The recipient was company employee Terry
Dean, who was celebrating his 50th year
working as Groundsman at the park.
Terry started as an apprentice with St Albans
City & District Council at the age of 15 and has
remained working at the park through several
decades of local government tendering. He
has been with John O’Conner for around 14
BALI Chalk Fund
recognises top
students
The BALI Chalk Fund
was established in
1975 with a legacy
from the widow of
Geoffrey Chalk, a
founding member
of BALI and owner
of Gavin Jones
Ltd, to support the
advancement of education and training in
the landscape sector. The Fund’s trustees
are keen to recognise the achievements
of landscape students who have excelled
in their studies and, in turn, BALI wants to
ensure that students have been introduced
at an early stage in their careers to the
support available from the Association and
the invaluable opportunities it gives them
for contact with industry employers.
Earlier in 2014, BALI land-based training
providers were approached and asked if they
would like to nominate a student to receive the
Best Student Award 2014, together with a
certificate and a cheque for £100. Eight students
were subsequently nominated and have now
been presented with their awards:
“Terry’s hard work and professional care of
Clarence Park have benefitted thousands of
people over the years. It is rare to meet someone
who has found the secret of contentment and
Terry sets us all a great example in his attitude to
his work. On behalf of St Albans City and District,
I want to thank him for all he does to make
Clarence Park beautiful.”
Jon Green, the Parks and Green Spaces
Manager for St Albans City & District Council, was
also present. John O’Conner managing director
Matt O’Conner said: “Terry is a valued and reliable
member of our team. Throughout his career he
has turned down several offers of promotion as it
would have taken him away from the park and the
work that he loves. As a family-owned company
we value his loyalty and dedication.”
Speaking at the presentation Terry said: “I am
honoured and grateful for recognition of my
Merrist Wood College: Daniel Carabus
Nominated by
tutor Tony Begg,
Daniel was
presented with
his certificate
and cheque by
BALI Technical
Officer Jonathan
Tame at the Students’ Awards Ceremony on 1st
July. Daniel also received the BALI cup, which,
historically, the college presents to the best
landscape student of the year.
Berkshire College of Agriculture:
Benjamin Johnson
Nominated by tutor Barrie
Duesbury, Benjamin was
unable to be present to
receive his certificate and
cheque and so these were
presented by BALI Sales
Officer Shaw Pye to the
college Principal, Gillian May, who received
them on Benjamin’s behalf at a ceremony at the
college on 1st July.
SRUC Oatridge College: David Millar
Nominated by landscaping lecturer Davy Millar
(no relation!), David received his award at the
college awards ceremony in October.
Sparsholt College Hampshire:
Daniel Barter
Nominated by Partner Associate Lecturer
Matthew Jessop, Daniel was presented with his
The workshop included presentations by
Perennial, the UK’s only charity dedicated to
helping those who work in horticulture, and
their families, and The National Apprenticeship
Service. John O’Conner’s training provider,
KEITS, were also on hand to provide information
on the work-based diplomas offered via John
O’Conner’s award winning apprenticeship
scheme, which received a Highly Commended in
the National Apprenticeship Service’s Regional
Newcomer of the Year 2013 award, and the
Principal BALI Employer of the Year 2013 award.
www.johnoconner.co.uk
certificate and cheque
by BALI Technical
Officer Jonathan Tame
at the Students’ Awards
Ceremony in Winchester
Cathedral on 11th July.
Bridgwater College: Matthew Paddock
Nominated by tutor Simon Grundy, Ian received
his certificate and cheque at his college’s awards
ceremony on 23rd June.
Writtle College: William Innes-Taylor
and Scott Hawkes
Nominated by Greg Allen, Senior Lecturer in
Landscape Studies, William and Scott shared
their Best Students cheque, receiving £50 each,
but each received his individual certificate in
recognition of the achievement.
Easton & Otley College: Lewis Allison
Nominated by Greer Hill, Student Services
Manager, Lewis received his certificate and
cheque at his college’s awards ceremony on
23rd June.
Myerscough College: Benjamin Moore
Nominated by Becky Atherton, Benjamin
received his certificate and cheque from BALI
North West Chairman Belinda Belt, an alumnus
of Myerscough, at the Students’ Awards
Ceremony on 11th July.
Congratulations to all these young people; we
hope they will find themselves becoming BALI
members in the future as their careers in the
industry flourish.
Pershore College students prepare for
Young Gardeners of the Year 2015
Horticulture students from Pershore College will be among
those from six colleges competing in the ‘Young Gardeners
of the Year’ in March. The annual competition is organised
by former Pershore College student and TV gardener David
Domoney in association with the Prince’s Foundation for
Building Community. It offers students a great opportunity to
showcase their work and celebrate the best of British young
talent in garden design and build.
This year’s gardens will be judged by an expert panel, which includes
horticultural industry leaders, home and garden magazine editors and
acclaimed garden designers. Entrants will compete to win the gold,
silver gilt, silver or bronze award. The overall winner will receive the
Best in Show award, and visitors will be able to vote for the winner
of the People’s Choice Award.
David Domoney said: “Now in our fifth year, we will have given over 250
students the opportunity to create show gardens at a national show
before they even leave the college gates. This is a great experience for
them – many will be our garden designers and landscape stars of the
future. This year sees a great line up of young hopefuls pitching their
skills against rival colleges for the title of Young Gardeners of the Year.”
The students at Pershore College will be asked to submit their garden
designs before the beginning of February, when they will then have
one week to build and plant their garden inside Kensington Olympia
ready for the Ideal Home Show opening day on 20th March 2015.
Each garden will then be judged at the show by the esteemed panel
of ambassadors and curators.
The Prince’s Foundation sets clear guidelines for the garden designs
based on organic and sustainable principles. This year an additional
element has been added to the brief: rainwater. The Prince’s
Foundation has asked the Young Gardeners to come up with ways
to re-use rainwater in their designs to reflect their commitment to
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS).
Simon Sadinsky, The Prince’s Foundation’s Young Heritage
Apprenticeship Coordinator, said: “SUDS are all about making sure
that rainwater can naturally, and gradually, drain away to avoid excess
surface water building up. Hard, impermeable surfaces don’t allow
for water to go anywhere, in the worst cases resulting in flooding. By
incorporating green spaces in our cities and urban environments we
help rainwater drain away naturally, reducing the risk of it building up
in places. Re-using rainwater also plays a part in that, and I for one am
excited to see how creative the Young Gardeners get in incorporating
that in their show gardens.”
Jonathan Tame, BALI’s Technical Officer,
reviews the recent BALI-NCF technical event –
Coping with Slopes
BALI-NCF held a ‘Coping with Slopes’
event at Draycote Water on 22nd October,
courtesy of BALI contractor Ground
Control and their client Severn Trent
Water, in response to a spate of recent
incidents involving the maintenance of
grass embankments. This was the second
BALI-NCF event of 2014 and more than 150
people attended.
Examples of reported incidents involving banks
included:
• In 2008 a council employee fell from a ride-on
mower onto a park bench, breaking two ribs
and suffering a compressed lung. He was
off work for 11 weeks. HSE successfully
prosecuted his employer, Cheltenham
Borough Council. This resulted in fines of over
£35,000 for the council.
• In 2008 York Council was fined over £40,000
as a result of one of its employees being killed
after the ride-on mower he was using hit a wall
and overturned while cutting grass on a 25
degree bank.
• In 2014 Cirencester Town Council was
prosecuted when an employee was thrown
from a mower, the mower overturned and
then hit the operative. The HSE found that the
slope on which the operative was working was
64 degrees and the machine being used was
not be used on slopes over 25 degrees. The
operative was off work for two months and the
council was fined £27,000.
• In July 2014 a woman was found dead,
trapped under a ride-on mower. It appeared
that the mower overturned while cutting grass
on a steep slope in North Devon.
• In August 2014 a retired Shropshire
businessman was found dead in a ditch,
trapped under his ride-on mower.
• The HSE reported that a gardener lost two
toes and had to undergo painful surgery after
losing his footing whilst cutting a grass bank.
The above are just a few examples of reported
incidents and one could assume there must
have been many more near misses and
unreported incidents. Therefore, it should be
clear that a threat is posed by using mowers,
especially on slopes.
The HSE/HSL perspective
BALI-NCF was fortunate to have both the HSE
and the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL)
speak at the event. The HSE was able to provide
an overview of industry statistics, which show
no reduction in fatal accident rates for the
amenity/landscape sector, which are currently at
1.2/100,000. Whilst this figure cannot be directly
attributed to slope mowing, and is considerably
less than the construction sector figure of
2.8/100,000, it is still above the ‘all industries’
figure of 0.6/100,000. The HSE points to a small
list of reoccurring causes for accidents related to
slope mowing:
• Lack of site specific risk assessment
• Work not planned by a competent person
• Unsafe system of work
• Machines operating outside of manufacturers’
recommendations
These causes can be further broken down
but they cover the principal reasons for many
incidents.
The HSE was also keen to point out alternatives
to slope mowing, which would follow risk
assessment hierarchy. Such alternatives could
include grazing, or alternative planting with trees/
shrubs/herbaceous etc. Of course, these are not
viable or appropriate alternatives for many sites
but are possible for some.
The HSL was able to present recent research
into a range of related issues, including how falls
from height not only account for the greatest
number of work related deaths but also,
following slips and trips, account for the highest
number of major injuries at work. The HSL has
also investigated slip protection and created The
Grip Scheme, a voluntary footwear rating system
that could help employers chose the most
appropriate footwear for particular tasks.
Solutions
Following the HSE and HSL presentations we
attempted to organise a group rotation system
to enable visitors to speak with dealers and
manufacturers of slope mowers. The group
system was partly successful but improvements
are planned for the next event! We were able to
provide visitors with live demonstrations from
over forty pieces of machinery, these ranged
from some of the most advanced and expensive
solutions to more economical equipment. It
was a pleasure to have the following dealers/
manufacturers at the event:
Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd demonstrated both
the Spider I and II, and also brought their newest
product, the Ransomes Parkway 3. The Parkway
3 is possibly the most advanced mower on the
market hosting a range of features, including the
TST™ slope monitoring control system.
PSD Groundcare brought a range of
equipment, including the radio controlled
Rotair Speedy Cutter 1000, featuring a range
of additional attachments. Other solutions on
display were the AS range of mowers, mulchers
and flails, which offer a wide range of solutions
for vegetation management. The KOPPL range
offers a base unit to which a wide range of
attachments can be fitted.
McMurtry Ltd demonstrated the RC-01 and
RC-02 bank mowers. Both are hybrid machines
and offer radio controlled operation on robustly
built, tracked machines. Cutting widths are
610mm and 1050mm respectively.
Simon Richard Ltd specialise in importing and
distributing an interesting range of slope mowing
solutions. A variety of equipment was being
demonstrated, including the Reform Metrac with
flail attachment, Shibaura bank mowers and the
only wheeled radio-controlled mower, the Hybot
Hybrid, capable of cutting on 50˚ slopes. Simon
Richards also produces the TiltMaster, a device
that can be retrofitted to any mower.
STM Co Ltd demonstrated the heavy duty walk
behind SCAG SWZ48 and the radio controlled
Robo Flail and Robo VarioPlus, the latter
featuring an out-front 3-point linkage.
Lynex UK Ltd brought along the LX 1000 and
LX 1100. Both are radio controlled mowers,
weighing in at 295kg and 680kg respectively.
The latter has a 1500mm wide, out-front flail.
Etesia demonstrated the Attila 180, a selflevelling machine that keeps the operator, engine
and controls upright whilst the cutting decks
follow terrain contours. They also brought along
the AV98 and SKD ride-on mowers with features
such as low vibration levels.
McConnel had the ROBOCUT to demonstrate.
This powerful 40hp, 1040kg machine comes
with a 1300mm flail head and features a range of
switchable attachments, including rotary head,
stump grinder, snow blower and power-brush.
IPU Group Ltd brought two walk-behind
Ferris models along. The 1220mm (48”) and
1320mm (52”) models feature dual hydrostatic
transmission and decks that are easily adjusted.
Rapid Tractors UK Ltd had some interesting
Swiss-made machines to demonstrate including
the Rapid Orbito, Rapid Euro and Rapid Swiss.
The walk-behind models come with a huge
range of attachments, from finger bar and rotary
cutters to flail-heads and cultivators.
Promach Ltd demonstrated the new FERRI
iCUT 4. This diesel powered, remote control
mower comes with a standard 1350mm flail
head; a 1000mm head is also available. The
iCUT 4 Flex has adjustable undercarriage tracks.
As the event was heavily oversubscribed
BALI-NCF is planning to hold the event again
at a different location with more challenging
slopes. We are not aware of any other event
specialising in slope management equipment
so, if you or your clients have slopes that require
maintenance and you missed this event, be sure
to book onto the next event in early 2015, date to
be confirmed.
To contact Jonathan on this or any other
technical matter of a landscaping/grounds
maintenance nature, please email him at
jonathan.tame@bali.org.uk or call
02476 698653.
J’s DIARY
A summary of our Technical Officer’s
recent engagement across the sector
LI (Landscape Institute): BIM consultation
group – not currently at a stage where BALI
can contribute a huge amount. It now appears
that the LI are focused on serving landscape
architects but not necessarily helping contractors
to understand the implications of Building
Information Modelling. The LI is about to roll out
a BIM Masterclass at £400 for non-LI members.
There are a number of landscape architects who
sit on the BIM consultation group who would be
happy to speak to BALI members who have BIM
related questions.
BRDO (Better Regulation Delivery Office):
Attended a few meetings regarding Primary
Authority – a statutory scheme, established by
the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act
2008 (the RES Act). It allows an eligible business
to form a legally recognised partnership with
a single local authority in relation to regulatory
compliance. This local authority is then known
as the business’s ‘primary authority’. BRDO is
keen to see BALI at the meetings representing
the landscape industry. The BRDO, which is part
of the Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills, focuses on Primary Authorities and how
regulation affects industries.
LPGSF (London Parks and Green Spaces
Forum): Connected with Chief Executive Tony
Leach and now BALI board director Clive Ivil of
Quadron Services sits on the Forum’s executive
board. The LPGSF held an interesting lecture at
Regent’s University titled ‘London’s Green Future’
in June that was well worth attending.
BRE (Building Research Establishment):
We have been made an offer to sit on the
ecology consultation group to advise on future
BREEAM policy.
HSE/HSL: Both the HSE and the HSL have
provided speakers for BALI-NCF events. We are
trying to establish better communications with
both organisations to ensure BALI members
and the industry as a whole has up to date H&S
information. I’ve provided feedback on various
consultations, including for CDM 2015.
SWIG (Sustainable Water Industry Group);
Attended a number of SWIG events and
discussion meetings. Very informative events and
excellent for networking with the wider industry.
UKWIR (UK Water Industry Research):
Attended a workshop with BALI Technical
Director Neil Huck on the potential for using
sewage sludge in the landscape sector. I’m still
a little unsure what the organisers hoped to get
from those who made the effort to attend.
Forestry Commission: Attended Barriers
to Tree Disease Management workshop (part
funded by Defra) in Edinburgh, focusing on
dothistroma needle blight (DNB). This was an
interesting event that brought together a wide
range of stakeholders to discuss tree diseases
with a focus on DNB in Scotland.
Defra: Provided advice on invasive alien species
consultation.
TDAG (Trees and Design Action Group):
Attended meetings based around trees/urban
tree planting. More recently I attended the
Arboricultural Association training course on
BS8545 and Trees in hard landscapes. I would
recommend this one day event to anyone with an
interest in tree planting operations.
CIRIA: Supported events based around trees/
urban tree planting. Attended ‘Getting trees right
in the urban environment’.
IOSH: They write reviews and generally
support the BALI-NCF events that we have held
throughout 2014.
Amenity Forum: Attended the informative 2014
annual conference, and BALI will be hosting a
group meeting in March 2015 at Landscape
House, Stoneleigh Park
RHS: Attended the annual John MacLeod
lecture, which focused on how horticulture has
positive effects on health and wellbeing. I would
recommend this free lecture to anyone with an
interest in horticulture.
Horticulture Wales: Connection made
with what is more of a domestic awareness
organisation but with good links to other Welsh
horticultural groups. They do provide informative
workshops on horticultural matters.
Arboriculture Association: Attended
the Contractor’s Preparation Workshop for
companies planning to go for Approved
Contractor status
European Federation of Green Roof and
Walls Association: We arranged a workshop
with Dusty Gedge and BALI Affiliate Onsite
Training UK on bio-solar roofs. This provided
BALI members and non-members with up to
date information on creating bio-solar roofs
successfully.
Colleges: Delivered BALI presentations to
students at Capel Manor and Easton & Otley
Colleges. Generally raising awareness of the
diversity of the landscape industry and the work
BALI does within the industry.
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BALI.indd 1
BALI Landscape News | Winter
2014 | 21
08/09/2014
08:34
DESIGNER FOCUS
New BALI board director with responsibility for Designer members, Janine Pattison,
explains the process for achieving BALI Registered Designer membership.
Becoming a BALI Registered Designer
The Designer Membership category was
created to welcome garden and landscape
designers into the BALI family. The
assessment process has been developed to
ensure that only people who have reached
a certain standard of design and technical
expertise can become BALI Registered
Designers. The Designer Assessment
Criteria document is available for anyone
to read and copies are available from
Landscape House on request.
If you are a BALI Registered Contractor who
works with a non-BALI registered designer why
not encourage them to join the BALI family and
benefit from all that BALI has to offer? We plan to
offer some pre-assessment sessions during 2015
so that candidates can bring their work along to
receive feedback, see sample drawings, plans
and documents and ask questions about the
assessment process. Then, when they present
themselves at the assessment, they will be better
prepared and we should see an improvement in
the success rate. If you are interested in attending
one of these sessions please contact Landscape
House. Assessment days will be run on dates
and locations to meet demand so please register
your interest with BALI and we will endeavour to
arrange them to suit.
Anyone wishing to apply for BALI Registered
Designer status must have been working as
a designer for a minimum of two years before
they can apply. For those designers who
cannot fulfil this requirement, BALI Associate
Designer membership is available until the two
year qualification period has been achieved.
The Designer Assessment Criteria are detailed
but the requirements are reasonable for any
competent and experienced designer and most
of the documents should be being produced
as a matter of course. Three individual projects
are to be submitted. Each project should, as far
as possible, differ in style and scope. Each of
the three projects must be accompanied by the
following drawings and documentation:
• Client brief
• Site survey and analysis
• Detailed proposal plan(s)
• Planting plan(s) and plant schedule(s)
• Construction drawing(s)
• Setting out and Drainage Plan(s)
• Scope of Works and Specification
• Risk Assessment
• Construction Design and Management
Regulations (CDM) if applicable
• Before and after photographs (preferably
taken from similar positions)
In addition to the three core projects, applicants
must provide four further pieces of design work.
These drawings do not require the supporting
drawings and documentation as set out above
for the three core projects and need not have
been implemented.
The following items are not obligatory but
may be included should the applicant feel they
will assist in their submission:
• Three-dimensional drawings, including sketch
perspectives and elevations
• Coloured plans and drawings
All of the projects submitted for assessment
must be the applicant’s own work. Shared or
composite work cannot be accepted.
Clarification of the required plans,
drawings and documentation
Client Brief – This means a written brief of the
client’s requirements.
Garden/Site Survey – This means a scaled
drawing of the existing garden/site as the
designer found it prior to the implementation
of the design and must show the following
information: (At least one site survey must be
undertaken by the Designer, the remaining two of
the three core survey projects can be produced
digitally by others):
• The property (if present) – showing the
ground floor windows, doors, services, (i.e.
gas, electricity entry points and meter boxes,
heating vents, air bricks, external taps, grey
and foul water pipes, etc.);
• Garden/site – showing all of the existing
elements, i.e. boundaries, trees, large
specimen shrubs, beds and borders, terraces,
paths, steps, walls, inspection chambers
and drainage points, water features, garden
buildings, telegraph poles, routes of overhead
cables and any other relevant features, i.e. the
orientation of the garden/site;
• Existing site levels – as a grid and/or
indicating the levels of relevant features within
the site, i.e. trees to be retained, inspection
chambers, drains, damp proof course, door
thresholds and ground floor window sills,
existing terraces, paths, steps and walls. Also,
at all other relevant points within and around
the site, e.g. where the ground suddenly
changes level and at relevant points around the
boundaries and the heights of boundaries;
• The survey must be presented as a separate
drawing.
Garden/Site Analysis – The analysis should be
presented both on the site survey drawing and
in written form and must include the following
information:
Presented on the site survey:
• Aspect – areas of sun and shade;
• Drainage problems – wet or waterlogged
areas. Indication, if relevant of exceptionally dry
areas. Direction of prevailing wind.
• Relevant features beyond the garden/site
boundaries, e.g. good and poor views.
Presented in written form:
• Soil type and pH;
• Climatic conditions (if exceptional, e.g. low
or excessively high rainfall, high altitude or
exposed site etc.);
• Any other relevant points that are not obviously
identifiable, e.g. shared access, public rights of
way, ownership of boundaries and easements
(areas required for public service rights of
access).
Detailed Proposal plan(s) – This means
a detailed and scaled drawing of the design
proposals, which fulfils both the site requirements
and client’s brief whilst demonstrating a high level
of both graphic and presentational skills.
Planting Plan(s) – This means a scaled drawing
showing precisely quantities and positions of
plants. These must be clearly labelled, using
correct botanical names; common names are not
acceptable.
Plant Schedule(s) – This means a list of the
plants used within the scheme and must be
listed alphabetically and the different types of
plants listed under separate headings, e.g. Trees,
Shrubs, Perennials, Bulbs, etc. The sizes of
pots must also be indicated and, for trees and
specimen shrubs, the dimensions in height, width
and girth, as appropriate.
Construction Drawing(s) – This means clearly
drawn and scaled (as appropriate), dimensioned
and labelled drawings to demonstrate the
required materials and constructional technique.
If a structural engineer has prepared drawings
and specifications for any elements contained
within the projects, these must be submitted.
Setting out Plan(s) – This means a scaled
drawing(s), clearly showing all of the dimensions,
radii points and offset lines, existing levels and
proposed levels.
Drainage Drawing (If applicable – A separate
plan, indicating drainage catchment points and
types, drainage runs, exit points and soakaways.
Finished pipe levels must be clearly shown or the
base of trenches, if gravel channels are used.
Drainage pipe types and dimensions must also
be shown on the plan, together with a scaled
section drawing of the trench, pipe and backfill
material. If a drainage consultant has prepared
drawings and specifications for any elements
contained within the projects, these must be
submitted.
Provender Nurseries
Garden Design
Competition
The plans should be presented for assessment
either flat or rolled, not larger than A1, in a portfolio
or tube and must not be folded. A0 size drawings
can be presented but should be reduced to A1
together with an additional folded copy at the
original drawn size/scale. All plans and drawings
must be cross-referenced to the Scope of Works
and Specification. Both hand drawn and CAD
generated drawings are acceptable.
Scope of Works – This means a written document
setting out the full scope of the project, to include
site clearance, drainage and ground works/
preparation, the constructed elements and the soft
landscaping and any other items included within
the scheme.
The Specification – This means a written
document, clearly outlining the methodology and
materials, elements outlined in the project and its
proposed use.
N.B. The scope of works and specification can be
one and the same document but must be specific
to each of the individual projects. Both of these
documents must be cross-referenced to all of the
drawings.
Risk Assessment – This means a written
document identifying any elements relating to the
drawings, the scope of works and specification,
which are potentially hazardous, during the
implementation of the garden and the maintenance
thereafter, e.g. (this list is by no means definitive)
• Access by heavy vehicles and machinery
• Buried power supplies (gas or electricity),
• Overhead power cables
• Excavation of trenches
• Steep or unstable ground
• Use of chemicals and other potentially
hazardous materials.
This document must be specific to each of the
individual projects. If this document has been
prepared by a Health and Safety consultant, this
must be submitted.
N.B. The design proposal should avoid, as far
as possible, designing or proposing elements
and features that are potentially hazardous to the
contractors and maintenance personnel.
Construction Design and
Management Regulations (CDM)
CDM documentation must be included to any of
the three core projects (if applicable).
Before and after photographs
A comprehensive set of photographs of the
garden site prior to the implementation of the
garden project and the same following completion
of the project.
To find out about BALI Registered Designer
or Associate Designer membership, or to
register your interest in attending a preassessment workshop, email Emily Feeney
at emily.feeney@bali.org.uk.
During their deliberations the judges were
looking for a number of key attributes from
the submitted designs, including form and
function, use of a wide range of plants
showing seasonal interest, plant association
and a pleasing design that suited the client’s
brief. Vanessa and Rachel’s design stood
out for the strong winter interest and plant
structure and great form, particularly in the
choice and use of hedges as structural
barriers at different heights, and great
accent planting.
The winning designers had given careful
thought to plant selection and soil
association. The use of foliage plants to
introduce colour, with the occasional flower
to punctuate the overall colour palette, was
impressive and all plants in the design were
selected from the Provender Nurseries
website.
PROVENDER
All drawings
College students Vanessa Hoch and
Rachel Pocock has won BALI Affiliate
member Provender Nurseries’ Garden
Design Competition 2014. Judging
took place in early July at Provender
Nurseries with Sophie Guinness,
lecturer in planting design; Liz Hughes,
Provender Nurseries’ marketing
organiser; and Richard McKenna,
Director of Provender Nurseries.
Richard McKenna with designers
Vanessa Hoch and Rachel Pocock
In late July both winners visited Provender
Nurseries to discuss their design in more
detail and to collect their prize of a cheque
for £250 each. Vanessa and Rachel,
both based in Hertfordshire, have now
established VaRa Garden Design together.
Their respective backgrounds in marketing
and healthcare, together with strong skills in
communication and meeting clients’ needs,
should serve them well as they channel their
creative sides into a career that they both
enjoy.
Richard McKenna said: “I was initially struck
with the clever use of Fagus sylvatica and
Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropurpurea’ hedging
as structural and accent planting and the
repeated use through the garden. The
colours selected in the flowering plants also
cleverly reflected the choice of foliage plants
in the garden.”
The Provender Nurseries Design
Competition was aimed at students of Plants
& Planting at Capel Manor College, Enfield
campus.
www.provendernurseries.co.uk
nuts
about plants
The Landscape Centre, Leydenhatch Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7PS
Telephone: 01322 662315 Web: www.provendernurseries.co.uk
DESIGNER FOCUS
Janine Pattison
Studios celebrate
national award
Bournemouth-based landscape designers
Janine Pattison Studios are celebrating
winning the Landscape of the Year – Best
Urban Garden award at the Express
Newspapers’ ‘New Homes & Gardens
Awards 2014’. The winning scheme – Canford
House in Parkstone, Dorset – featured in
the ITV programme ‘Harbour Lives’ with
Ben Fogle earlier this year and BALI board
director with responsibility for BALI’s
designer membership, Janine Pattison, was
interviewed by him about the project.
Canford House is a stunning new contemporary
property overlooking Parkstone Golf Course and Poole Harbour. Janine
Pattison Studios were commissioned to design a master plan that
provided a harmonious and sympathetic solution to the site, resolving
complex planning issues that had arisen during the build of the residence.
On a particularly sensitive plot with protected trees and wildlife, the owners
faced concerns from the neighbours and the local planning department
about the original landscape scheme.
The prime objective for Janine and her team was to listen to and
understand the concerns of the planning department and neighbouring
properties surrounding Canford House, and then to create a design
solution to address those concerns. The resulting scheme did this, and
more, with a more sustainable, ecologically-friendly and sympathetic
landscape design solution, which included:
• A screened infinity swimming pool and spa terrace, with
sympathetic paving
• Generous terraced perennial beds to encourage bio-diversity and
provide summer colour and interest
• Allée of standard bay trees and generous planting beds
• Over 50 new heavy standard specimen evergreen trees carefully
positioned to address lines of sight and to prevent any of the
terraces being overlooked from within or outside the garden
• A stunning wildflower meadow and apple orchard to encourage
bio-diversity
• A living green sedum roof to the garden lodge
• Trailing evergreen climbers to form a green curtain that cascades
over the visually problematic retaining walls
• A dramatic reduction in hard surface areas to improve drainage
within the curtilage of the property and encourage biodiversity
• Changing the white painted walls of the house and in the garden
to a sympathetic tier stone system
• Planting of a number of semi-mature evergreen trees on
neighbouring land to provide additional screening
The use of recycled materials was employed wherever possible and
included Pacific Lock and Load crib walls comprising recycled crushed
stone and aggregate; topsoil recycled and graded throughout the site
with none taken off-site; and MOT Type 1 sub-base made from recycled
crushed concrete.
Many congratulations to Janine and her team on their award.
www.janinepattison.com
Passionate about Plants
Find us on Facebook and Twitter
www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk
16947_BL_Wyevale_advert_v1.indd 1
06/08/2014 14:30
The stunning 38th BALI National
Landscape Awards broke all records
this year with an attendance of 850 BALI
members and industry guests at the
luncheon, and a fifth time Grand Award
winner, an unprecedented achievement
in the history of the awards.
The 38th
BALI National
Landscape Awards
Our grateful thanks to:
1.
AWARD
SPONSORS
2.
The Awards ceremony, hosted by journalist,
broadcaster and former Cabinet Minister
Michael Portillo, showcased the country’s
finest landscape schemes – the work of
BALI designers and contractors at the top
of their profession. BALI’s International
members, too, submitted stunning
schemes, and the Affiliate Exceptional
Service Award was well supported by
entries from BALI’s supplier membership.
Guests arriving at London’s Grosvenor House on
Friday 5th December for the pre-luncheon drinks
reception were welcomed by BALI’s National
Chairman Robert Field, Chief Operations Officer
Wayne Grills and members of BALI’s Board of
Directors. The buzz was deafening as members,
industry guests and VIPs slowly filed into the
reception for an hour of networking prior to being
called down to The Great Room for the luncheon
and Awards ceremony at midday. This year,
three BALI member companies chose the event
3.
to celebrate major landmarks in their company
histories. Harrod UK, Graduate Gardeners and
Green-tech marked 60, 40 and 20 years in
business respectively.
Amongst the VIP guests were Baroness Fookes,
Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening
and Horticulture Group (APPGHG); ‘Plant Hunter’
and creator of the World Garden at Lullingstone
Castle, Tom Hart Dyke; gardening writer and
journalist Steve Bradley from the Sun (who
taught many of the Award winners in his tutoring
days); and industry leaders including Carol Paris,
Director General of the HTA; Karen Martin, Chief
Executive of the Arboricultural Association;
Philippa O’Brien, Chair of the Society of Garden
Designers, and Mark Camley, Executive Director
of Park and Venues at the London Legacy
Development Corporation. Senior executives
from Haymarket Group were also hosted by BALI
Board members and staff.
Andersplus Horticulture
Bourne Amenity
Brett
British Sugar TOPSOIL
CED Natural Stone
Crowders Nurseries
Cuprinol Trade
Easigrass
Europlants UK
Green-Tech
Horticultural Services by Sodexo
HorticultureWeek
Johnsons of Whixley
Kubota
Marshalls plc
Nemetschek Vectorworks
Paynes Turf
Penter
Q Lawns
Quadron Services
Quinton Edwards
Rigby Taylor
Springbridge
SureSet
Top Green
Topsport
Willerby Landscapes
4.
6.
5.
7.
In his welcome speech, Wayne Grills took the
opportunity to thank Chair of the Adjudication
Panel, Greg Allen, and his fellow awards judges
for their dedication in visiting every scheme
and then convening to select the winners.
He also thanked Angela Donovan and the
Landscape House and Haymarket Events
teams for delivering another hugely successful
BALI National Landscape Awards process and
ceremony. With so many industry guests present,
and with the Chair of the APPGHG Baroness
Fookes listening attentively, it was appropriate
that the looming skills shortage faced by BALI
member companies and the wider industry
should be highlighted. Wayne said: “We must,
both collectively as an industry, and as individuals
and companies, grasp the initiative and commit
to regularly engaging with schools and colleges
to inform and educate. No-one will do this for us;
it is up to us to sell our industry as a real career
option.”
Recently appointed BALI National Chairman
Robert Field took to the stage after Wayne
to announce the awarding of three BALI Life
Memberships, bestowed by the BALI Board of
Directors on members who have demonstrated
exceptional commitment to the Association and
to the landscape industry. Richard Gardiner
(Norris & Gardiner), Martyn Mogford (Gavin
Jones), and Paul Cowell (PC Landscapes),
were each presented with a framed scroll citing
their achievements and received warm and
enthusiastic applause from their many friends
8.
and colleagues. Richard and Paul are both
former Board members who have each served
as National Chairman and Martyn has served
on the Board for a number of years as a director
and as Treasurer. On receiving the accolade, Paul
Cowell said: “I am incredibly proud and pleased
to receive the award, which I must admit came as
a bit of a shock, but I am also very conscious that
we still have a great deal left to do with regards to
industry collaboration; nevertheless, a huge thank
you to the BALI Board and the membership.”
Following Kate Lowe’s speech on behalf of Award
partners HorticultureWeek, former Capital and
Heart Radio presenter Neil Bentley, who provided
the commentary during the event, delivered the
charity appeal on behalf of the BALI Chalk Fund
and Perennial. The collection during the luncheon
raised the magnificent sum of £4775, to be
shared equally by the two charities.
Michael Portillo was an excellent host and,
as you would expect, completely at home
addressing a large gathering. He referred back
to his days as a politician and gave an amusing
and self-deprecating account of his experiences
on the hustings, acknowledging that politicians
invariably receive a mixed reception from the
public at large. Michael left politics just before
the General Election in 2005 and since then
has focused on his career in broadcasting and
journalism. He certainly kept the audience in
check during the presentation of the awards and
ensured that every award winner and sponsor
enjoyed the occasion.
The BALI members who enter the Awards each
year deserve enormous praise, regardless of
whether or not they are ultimately successful.
Putting your work forward for scrutiny by your
industry peers takes professional courage but
the rewards that come from winning a BALI
Award, in terms of industry profile and increased
business, are well worth it. The contractor and
designer categories were judged by chair of the
awards judging panel Greg Allen, a senior lecturer
in landscape studies at Writtle College, fellow
judges Michael Chance and Steve Roberts, well
known landscape designers and lecturers Robin
Templar Williams and Jason Lock, RHS Associate
of Honour, show judge and MD of Hillier
Landscapes Richard Barnard, and John Melmoe,
Commercial Director of multi award winning
contractor Willerby Landscapes and Honorary
Member of the Kew Guild. The Employer of the
Year and Affiliate Exceptional Service awards
were judged by Director of Lantra’s Skills
Partnerships, Madge Moore, Lantra Investor in
People specialist Tony Walmsley, and former BALI
member, National Chairman and current Chair of
the BALI Chalk Fund, Peter Jennins OBE.
Once again all entries were visited by the
judges and the Principal and Special Awards
were presented on the day to the winners by
the commercial sponsor of each category. The
ceremony culminated in the announcement of
the winner of the BALI Grand Award. This is
awarded for the project that, above all the year’s
Principal Award winning schemes, exemplifies
9.
11.
13.
10.
outstanding professional landscaping. The
2014 project deemed by the judging panel to
be the worthy Grand Award winner was the
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, South
Park Plaza and its transition into legacy
by Willerby Landscapes. This was the
company’s fifth Grand Award – a BALI record.
Willberby Landscapes’ Commercial
Director, John Melmoe, said “We are deeply
appreciative of receiving the Grand Award
for our involvement in the South Park Plaza
project at the QE2 Park, Stratford. For our
peers to recognise the skill and workmanship
involved in this complex scheme is very
gratifying. Our staff take a keen interest in
the Awards and receive a tremendous boost
from the prestigious event. Winning the
Grand Award for the fifth time was beyond
our wildest expectations. The legacy of the
Awards underpins the determination of BALI to
continue to strive to raise standards within the
industry.”
Other Award winners were equally proud of
their achievements and were keen to express
their delight:
Graduate Gardeners won the
Principal Award for Domestic Garden
Construction, cost over £250,000,
sponsored by EuroPlants UK, presented by
the company’s General Manager Oscar Puig,
and the Special Award: Design & Build,
sponsored by British Sugar TOPSOIL
12.
and presented by TOPSOIL Manager Andy
Spetch, for a stunning private residence
in the Cotswolds. Director Charles Price
was delighted to receive the awards and
particularly to add to the company’s tally of
ten BALI Design and Build awards. Speaking
at the event, Charles said: “We are delighted
to celebrate our 40 years of designing and
building award winning gardens at the BALI
Awards ceremony in the company of our
industry peers. It was fabulous to achieve not
only the prized ‘Over £250k Domestic Garden
Construction’ Principal Award but also the
Special Award for Design and Build, which
really cements our position at the top end of
domestic landscaping.”
BALI Registered Designer Christine
Whatley won the Design Excellence
Award, overall scheme under £50K,
sponsored by Vectorworks, for The
Orchard House, Calne. As she was unable to
attend the ceremony, Chair of the adjudication
panel Greg Allen collected it from Vectorworks
Group Marketing Manager Design, Jacqui
Smith. Christine said: “I’m absolutely delighted
to be a Principal Award Winner for the second
consecutive year. I know my client, Fiona
Campbell, is thrilled and it is testament to all
the hard work from Tom Seward who built the
garden, and everyone involved in supplying
plants and materials.”
14.
1. The Great Room
2. Awards host Michael Portillo
3. Guests are called down to the
luncheon and Awards ceremony
4. From left: Brian Herbert, Nick Coslett
Richard and Lynda Barnard, and
Richard Gardiner
5. National Chairman Bob Field
addresses the audience
6. Wayne and Liz Grills
7. Grand Award winners Willerby
Landscapes
8. BALI Life Members Paul Cowell,
Richard Gardiner and Martyn Mogford
with Wayne Grills and Bob Field.
9. Graduate Gardeners, winners of the
Special Award for Design and Build
10. Greg Allen, centre, receives the
Design Excellence Award on behalf
of Christine Whatley
11. GP Plantscape celebrate their
Employer of the Year Award
12. Executive Chairman of Awards headline
sponsor Rigby Taylor, Chris Clark with
Michael Portillo and Wayne Grills
13. New Chair of the SGD,
Philippa O’Brien, with Wayne Grills
14. Dee Field, wife of the National Chairman,
with Chair of the Adjudication Panel,
Greg Allen
15.
17.
19.
16.
18.
20.
Scotland’s GP Plantscape received the
Principal Award for Interior Landscape
Installation and the Principal Employer of
the Year Award, sponsored by Andersplus,
for its clear focus and direction and professional
approach to the way the company recruits and
develops its people. Director Alison Gilchrist
said: “We are all delighted at GP Plantscape to
have been awarded the Principal Employer of the
Year Award. Delivering excellent service is made
possible through excellent people and our teams
are the true key to our success. To be recognised
for the commitment we make to every individual’s
development is fantastic and highlights the
dedication and effort that everyone makes at GP
to ensure customer satisfaction.”
Harrod Horticultural won the Affiliate
Exceptional Service Award sponsored by
SureSet. The Award was presented by SureSet’s
Business Development Manager Hugh Haines
and collected by Harrod Horticultural’s Managing
Director Stephanie Harrod and Trade Manager
Andrew Barringer. The judges cited exceptional
levels of customer service and satisfaction and
strong internal and external communications
amongst the many attributes displayed by the
company. Stephanie Harrod said: “It is a great
accolade to receive such a prestigious award
and is a true reflection on how hard the company
has worked – we have come a long way in the
past sixty years, constantly striving to improve
our company and our culture. Well done to our
Trade Manager Andrew Barringer for putting the
hard work into the submission and upholding the
standard as well as all those that help us provide
a truly one hundred percent professional end
to send service.” Andrew Barringer said: “The
majority of our trade revenue comes from BALI
Registered Designers and landscapers specifying
our products and it proves just how valuable a
trade body like BALI is and the work they do to
uphold excellence within the industry.”
BlueFish Landscaping & Equestrian
Development received the Best Newcomer
to BALI Special Award for the landscaping
of a private residence in Godalming. BlueFish
became BALI members in 2013 and this was
their first entry to the BALI Awards. The judges
were impressed with the company’s excellent
workmanship and are looking forward to seeing
more Award entries from this BALI member in
the future. On receiving the award from sponsor
Wienerberger, James Fish said: “We are proud
and honoured to receive this prestigious award
from BALI and hopefully this will be the first of
many.”
The Awards brochure,
containing all the winners on
the day, has been sent to all
BALI members. Next year’s BALI
National Landscape Awards
will take place on Friday 4th
December. The deadline for
entries is Friday 22nd May for
BALI Full Contractor categories
and Friday 31st July for all other
categories, so start the process
of deciding which of your
current schemes are potential
award winners and make sure
you get your entries in. We
look forward to celebrating
with you at a magnificent 2015
BALI National Landscape
Awards in association with
HorticultureWeek!
15. BALI National Vice Chair Paul Downer,
centre, with Brian Herbert (left) and
Anthony George
16. Pro Landscaper’s Lisa and Jim Wilkinson
with David Dodd (left) and Kate O’Shea
from Perennial (second from right)
17. James Fish of BlueFish Landscaping
accepts the Best Newcomer to BALI
Award
18. Stephanie Harrod and Andrew Barringer
(centre) receive the Affiliate Exceptional
Service Award
19. Mark Whiting of awards sponsor Greentech (left) with Tim O’Hare
20. BALI’s Project Manager for the Awards,
Angela Donovan (left) with Haymarket
Events team members Petra Majzlikova,
Steven Lewis and Sarah Fournier
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2015 EVENTS CALENDAR
15 January
Party for Perennial, The Roof Gardens,
Kensington, London
Visit www.perennial.org.uk/party
12 February
20-21 February
3-5 March
21 March
27 March
11-13 April
14-15 April
22-23 April
23-26 April
7-10 May The Garden Press Event,
Barbican Exhibition Centre, London
Visit www.gardenpressevent.co.uk
RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Three
Counties Showground, Malvern,
Worcestershire
Visit www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/
19-23 May
RHS London Plant and Potato Fair,
RHS Horticultural Halls
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital,
Chelsea, London
11-14 June
BBC Gardeners’ World Live, NEC,
Birmingham
Visit www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com
16-18 June
Facilities Show, ExCeL, London
Visit www.facilitieshow.com
23-24 June
HTA National Plant Show, Stoneleigh Park,
Warwickshire
Visit www.nationalplantshow.co.uk
30 June-5 July
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
8-9 July
RHS Great London Plant Fair
Flat Living Live!
The Business Design Centre, London
Visit www.flat-living.co.uk
22-26 July
ICF National Conference – Tree health,
resilience and sustainability, Cardiff
Visit www.charteredforesters.org
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Knutsford,
Cheshire
Visit www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events
1-14 September
HortAid 2015, in aid of Perennial
Visit www.perennial.org.uk
8-9 September
Four Oaks Trade Show, Macclesfield,
Cheshire
Visit www.fouroaks-tradeshow.com
Ecobuild, ExCeL, London
Visit www.ecobuild.co.uk
SGD Spring Conference,
Royal Geographical Society, London
Visit www.sgd.org.uk
Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day
Sign up now at www.gardenreleaf.co.uk
RHS Show Cardiff, Bute Park, Cardiff
Castle
Harrogate Spring Flower Show, Great
Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate
Visit www.flowershow.org.uk
10-11 September Confor Woodland Show 2015, Longleat
Estate, Wiltshire
Visit www.confor.org.uk
11-13 September The London Flower Show, Victoria Park,
London
Visit www.londonflowershow.co.uk 13-15 September GLEE Birmingham, NEC
Visit www.gleebirmingham.com
20-23 September AA’s 49th National Amenity Arboriculture
Conference, Warwick University
Visit www.trees.org.uk/amenity-conference
22-23 September Landscape Show, Battersea Park, London
Visit www.landscapshow.co.uk
7 October
South West Growers Show, Exeter
Visit www.swgs.co.uk
4-5 November
SALTEX, NEC, Birmingham
Visit www.iogsaltex.com
17 November
FutureScape, Sandown Park Racecourse,
Surrey
Visit http://futurescapeevent.com
19-21 November
The Skills Show, NEC, Birmingham
Visit www.theskillsshow.com
4 December
BALI National Landscape Awards,
Grosvenor House, London
Visit www.baliawards.co.uk
Highlights of the event included:
LANDSCAPE
2014 Review
Organisers of LANDSCAPE at Battersea
Park in September have reported that this
year’s event was a huge success; staff on
the BALI stand were certainly kept busy
fielding enquiries from a steady stream
of designers, contractors and product
suppliers about membership.
1624 trade specialists attended the show, an
increase of 28 per cent compared with 2013,
which is partly due to the increase in the number
of exhibitors, up by 21 per cent on 2013. 2558
delegates in total attended over the two days,
including visitors from 29 different countries from
all continents. 93 per cent of visitors were able to
heavily influence or make purchasing decisions.
The focus was on high net worth projects for
wealthy clients from London, the Home Counties
and abroad.
• The Young Horts hosted their first Autumn
Conference, which brought an additional 250
designers and landscapers of the future to the
event;
• BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time was
recorded at the event;
• The London College of Garden Design hosted
their series of Master Classes, bringing
together 12 industry leaders to talk about
design, build and planting,
BALI member Gareth Williams (left) with
Bob Field and BALI member Mark Gregory
of Landform Consultants
• The Society of Garden Design held their
AGM and launched their Product of the Year
competition (won by BALI Affiliate member
Lateral Design Studio).
LANDSCAPE also hosted a range of international
speakers and, for the first time, all sessions were
CPD credited, bringing the opportunity for every
attendee to gain education points to further their
career.
LANDSCAPE 2015 will be back at Battersea
Park, London, on 22nd and 23rd September.
www.landscapeshow.co.uk
BALI Communications Officer Ross Hutchinson
(left) with National Chairman Bob Field
GalaBau 2014
A BALI member’s perspective
I was invited to attend
the GaLaBau exhibition
in Nurnberg, Germany, in
September through our links
with ELCA - the European
Landscape Contractors
Association. The exhibition
has been going since 1965,
when an estimated 1000
people attended. It is now
held every two years over a
four day period and this year
the attendance was an eyepopping 66,563.
This year the exhibition was
held over 13 exhibition halls and
a large exterior demonstration
area at the NurnbergMesse just
outside the lovely walled town;
1321 companies from thirty
countries exhibited, including
British companies. The halls are
split into specialised exhibitions on
landscape construction, plants,
landscaping materials, aquatic
and water features, and grounds
maintenance equipment. The
central hall is dedicated to the
landscape skills competition,
which is completed during the
exhibition by 12 teams. Its location
ensures that most visitors will at
some point pass through the hall
and therefore see the competition,
which gives huge encouragement
to the competing teams.
This year’s exhibition saw the
introduction of the Galabau Camp,
a new initiative to provide a relaxed
venue where landscape students
and the owners of new landscape
companies can meet with
established landscapers and gain
advice and guidance on careers
in landscaping and arboriculture
and on running a landscaping
business.
I went to the exhibition with a
number of objectives for new
ideas in grass cutting on banks,
new landscaping materials and
vegetation control methods. In
the event I found quite a few new
techniques and ideas that we
could find useful in this country.
BALI attempted to organise
a trip to the 2014 event but
member interest was expressed
rather too late to get workable
accommodation and travel
arranged in time. This really is a
very worthwhile exhibition to visit
and find out what your competitors
across the channel are offering.
2016 will come around before
we know it so put GaLaBau,
September 2016, in your diaries
now and we will send out
information on a BALI visit a little
nearer the time.
Neil Huck
BALI Technical Director
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SALTEX moves to the NEC
World class flower
show planned for
East London venue
In September 2015 East London will play
host to a brand new flower show, the
LONDON FLOWER SHOW. The organisers
are planning a world class event in the
horticultural calendar alongside established
events such as the RHS Chelsea and
Hampton Court Flower Shows.
From 11th-13th September, Victoria Park in
Bow, East London, will become the centre for a
celebration of the UK’s blooming season with the
city’s third largest collection of show gardens,
garden exhibits and flower fantasia revealed for
the first time. Over the three days, displays, trade
stalls, live entertainment, garden installations and
growing competitions will thrive, bringing together
people from all walks of life in a celebration of the
country’s best buds and flowers.
Former RHS Chelsea Flower Show winner and
leading horticulture expert Nigel Gibson has been
appointed as the show’s curator and content
director. He will be joined by a number of other
experts ensuring the show entertains and excites
everyone, from the most passionate gardener to
those simply with a keen interest. With familyfriendly entertainment and exhibitions, this is a
flower show for horticulture enthusiasts, experts,
and hobbyists alike. Gardeners will be able to
get the best deals on essential products with
exclusive show offers to take back home.
Embracing ethical and sustainable principles
at its core the event has been established to
provide access for everyone. Entry in the produce
growing competition is free and open to anyone
who’s passionate about their produce or fanatical
about their flowers. A range of cash prizes totaling
£9,000 will be awarded to Gold and Silver medal
winners in a wide range of growing and display
categories.
The London Flower Show is timed to coincide
with the annual farmers’ harvest and the
peak of the blooming season that takes place
from August to September. It will contain five
competition pavilions, which will house the
competition displays, on-site bar and restaurant,
a centrally positioned live music space and a
range of open air displays exhibiting the work of
the UK’s best horticultural specialists in the fields
of garden design, aeroponics, hydroponics and
garden sculpture.
www.londonflowershow.co.uk
IOG CEO Geoff Webb presents at SALTEX 2014
The recent announcement that SALTEX
will be moving from Windsor to the NEC
Birmingham in 2015 has, according to the
IOG, been met with enthusiastic support
from both exhibitors and visitors. The new
look SALTEX will take place on 4th and
5th November 2015.
They report that close to 100 exhibitors have
already committed to the event, which will
incorporate a wide range of educational
seminars and turf debates and the unique ‘Ask
the Expert’ clinic. For the first time the event
will combine with the IOG’s annual conference
and awards.
“The move shows that the Institute of
Groundsmanship has really listened to the
industry. Birmingham is a more central national
location, which offers easier access for existing
and potential SALTEX visitors - especially
those who couldn’t travel down to Windsor.
Vitax wholly supports the move,” said Mike
King, sales and marketing manager for Vitax
Amenity.
Mike’s views are echoed by Carl Crome,
managing director of Indigrow: “I think this
announcement will bring the UK turf exhibition
into the 21st century. I’ve been attending the
show since 1976, and welcome the idea of not
having to contend with the outdoor elements.
The transport links to the NEC are excellent,
both for international and UK visitors. Given
the location, SALTEX could now become the
premier sports turf show for groundsmen and
greenkeepers and rival the Golf Industry Show
(GIS) in the USA.”
“Judging by the more considered opinions
at this year’s show it will be a positive move
and one that suits the majority of the visitors
who attend the show to buy equipment. The
industry needs a show of this character as
it is the last of its type in the UK. It needs to
be supported by all and the sceptics need to
adapt to the concept of a modern show in a
central location in a controlled environment
to ensure its future. Well done to the IOG for
having the strength and conviction to make this
historic move,” said Keith Christian, director of
BAGMA.
following the announcement. It certainly wasn’t
a decision that was made on a whim and is not
a change for change sake. We passionately
believe that our industry deserves a thriving
trade show as its shop window to the world.
We hope many will see the potential and, like
us, take the opportunity to bring SALTEX into
the 21st century.”
www.iog-saltex.com
BALI at SALTEX 2014
The BALI stand at this year’s SALTEX,
ably ‘manned’ by Ross Hutchinson,
Emily Feeney and Shaw Pye,
attracted more than the customary
interest, thanks to a competition to
win prizes generously donated by
BALI Affiliate members Makita and
GroundsCare Products.
The team at Makita offered the
competition winner a choice of a Makita
14.4V cordless drill plus cordless trimmer,
or the 4-stroke line trimmer. They also
provided the ten runners up with a
Makita 101 piece drill and screwdriver
set. GroundsCare Products donated
one week’s free rental of the award
winning ZipLevel Pro 2000 high precision
altimeter, which has a retail value of
£716.85 + VAT.
No wonder, then, that the competition
brought contractors flocking to the stand!
Many thanks Makita and GroundsCare
Products for supporting BALI at the show.
Speaking on behalf of the IOG Board, CEO
Geoff Webb commented: ‘We are absolutely
delighted with the support we have received
Looking after BALI’s stand at SALTEX were
Ross Hutchinson, Emily Feeney and Shaw Pye
Talking birds and the bees
at Ecobuild 2015
Landscapers, landscape contractors,
grounds maintenance contractors,
interior landscapers, gardeners and
garden designers who are keen to
embrace the latest biodiversity best
practice should head to Ecobuild 2015
where a raft of experts will be on hand
to talk living walls, permeable paving,
the latest landscaping products and
solutions, bats, birds and bees.
Biotecture, BALI Affiliate member Green-tech,
KBI, British Beekeepers Association, Bat
Conservation Trust and the RSPB are just
some of a plethora of organisations set to
exhibit at the event, which takes place from
3rd to 5th March 2015 at London’s ExCeL.
Broadening minds on the concept of living walls
is Biotecture (Stand S5102), who will be talking
vertical forests - full biodiversity microclimate
areas developed with shrubs and small trees
creating a more wild and natural look.
Famous for many stunning living wall projects
including the roof terrace at Coca-Cola’s HQ
and a 240m2 living wall near the Eurostar
terminal at Kings Cross, Biotecture uses its
patented hydroponic system BioWall to bring
a new level of sustainability through intelligent
water management and stable system
dynamics.
Taking the biodiversity element of living walls
to a new level is the Bat Conservation Trust
(Stand S7066) who are currently working with
architects and landscaping experts to integrate
bat boxes into living walls and outside spaces.
Bat Conservation Trust has been working
closely with the Victoria Business Improvement
District (BID) to monitor which bats are using
the green roofs, living walls and green spaces
integrated into the development of this Central
London area. This has already revealed five
species of bat using the area, two or which are
rare species.
Winner of a prestigious BALI National
Landscape Award for the second year running
in the Affiliate Exceptional Service category is
leading landscape supplier Green-tech (Stand
S6118). The company will be exhibiting a
variety of landscaping materials, ranging from
products to nurture tree growth such as tree
stakes, bamboo canes and tree guards, and
other products such as grass seeds, fertilisers,
fencing and windbreaks alongside its ownbrand Green-tree topsoil, used on high-profile
construction sites across the UK.
Those keen to explore new paving innovations
should visit KBI (Stand S6114) who will be
demonstrating their Flexi™-Pave, a unique
trade-marked product that uses recycled car
tyres, stone and a unique bonding agent to
form a highly porous paving product.
Landscape professionals can also get advice
from the British Beekeepers Association (Stand
S6080) about the ways in which habitat change
can determine the success or otherwise of
pollinator species. Thinking points include
growing more flowers, shrubs and trees, letting
spaces grow wild, cutting the grass less often
and thinking carefully about using pesticides.
Attendees should also check out Ecobuild’s
conference stream ‘The future of the global
built environment’, which will cover all the big
issues that are needed for the successful,
sustainable functioning of global communities.
This includes the security and supply of
sustainable forms of energy and transport
and water provision. Debates include how
to remove the political barriers to creating
a sustainable built environment, ensuring
buildings and communities are resilient to
climate change, whether energy should be
provided at the community or national level,
creating smart cities and the value of green and
blue infrastructure.
There’s still time to book your stand on the BALI
Pavilion at the show. The BALI Pavilion is in an
area of larger stands taken by BALI members
including Bauder, Green-tech and CED and is
close to the seminar stage, which creates extra
footfall.
What you’ll get for your money
The standard £4,500 BALI Pavilion shell
scheme stand is 3m x 3m and has the full shell
scheme package: Carpeting, 2 low voltage
spotlights, 1 500w socket, 1 table, 2 chairs, 1
small literature rack and a bin, and exhibitors
have their company name and stand number
sign written above their stand.
Reserve your stand today
For details of the stands available, and options
if you want something a little larger than
the standard 3m x 3m stand, contact Ross
Hutchinson at BALI on 02476 690333 or email
him at ross.hutchinson@bali.org.uk. All bookings
will be made directly with Ecobuild through
Ross and to keep things simple your exhibitor
contract will be with the show organiser, not
with BALI. If you are interested in exhibiting with
an independent stand at Ecobuild 2015, please
contact Martin Hurn, Ecobuild’s Sales Director
on 0207 560 4072, 07765 221607 or email
martin.hurn@ubm.com
MEMBER BENEFITS
BALI’s HR
and H&S
service proves
invaluable
Earlier this year BALI changed
providers for its HR and Health and
Safety business support to Qdos
Consulting and, to date, over 20 BALI
members have contacted them via the
website or the helpline for advice and
guidance on a broad range of issues.
Trying to keep abreast of changes to
employment, health and safety and
business legislation and regulations can
take up a considerable amount of time, time
which most employers should be spending
on their core business activities. Not to do
so, however, risks falling foul of the law.
There is inevitably a monetary cost too that
can place an unwelcome additional burden
on a business.
When the BALI HR/H&S websites are used
in conjunction with the telephone advice line,
businesses can access qualified advice and
manage their human resource, employment
law and health and safety needs effectively
and efficiently. A raft of documentation,
including contracts of employment, policies
and procedures, and correspondence
templates can also be downloaded from
the website. Whilst giving the employer
peace of mind when dealing with complex
HR, employment law and health and
safety matters, this can also increase the
efficiency of the business and offers a
compliant, documented process, putting the
business in the best position to defend any
consequent action. The correspondence
templates maintain objectivity and reduce
the emotional strain often associated with
employee disputes.
Sharon Butler of BALI Registered
contractor Butler Landscapes has already
made good use of this great BALI member
benefit: “QDOS is a really prompt service.
I was able to speak to someone straight
away who could provide instant information
on where we stood in a certain situation.”
The BALI HR/H&S websites can be
found through the BALI website at
www.bali.org.uk and documents can
be accessed and downloaded by using
your BALI membership login details
(please contact us on 02476 690333 if
you are unsure of your login information).
To access expert help and support by
telephone, call the Advice Line
number on 0116 243 7881.
Qdos
C O N S U LT I N G
The new evidence-based BALI Quality
Standard vetting and review process
As our vetted members know, BALI
Registered membership for landscape
and grounds maintenance contractors
is hard won, which is why the BALI logo
is held in such high regard by clients
and those working across the UK and
international landscape sectors. But
the vetting process for new members,
and its review of standards for existing
members, had changed very little
since a formal procedure was first
introduced. There was a need for a
more robust, evidence-based system to
assess potential and existing members’
professional and business competence.
The challenge of reviewing the existing
system and developing a procedure that
would reflect other evidence-based quality
accreditation schemes was taken up by
former BALI National Chairman and Board
member Richard Gardiner of BALI contractor
Norris & Gardiner Ltd. The new procedure,
which reflects BALI’s commitment to the
ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard, is
now in place and all companies applying for
BALI Registered contractor status, and those
existing BALI members selected for review
every three years, are being assessed using
the new protocol.
The new Quality Standard enables
organisations to see clearly what is required
of them by the Association. It also provides
vetting officers with a benchmark against
which to assess applicant organisations. This
increased clarity and transparency ensures
consistency between vetting officers’ decision
making and gives companies applying for
membership, or seeking to retain membership
on review, clear required standards of
achievement.
The vetting visit
During the visit by the appointed BALI vetting
officer, organisations will be asked to provide
suitable evidence to demonstrate their
achievement of the standard required for each
of the following areas (listed in order of the
likely programme for the visit):
1.Management Responsibility, covering
Management Commitment, Customer
Focus, Responsibility, Authority and
Communication, and Planning;
2.Resource Management, covering Human
Resources, Competence, Training and
Awareness, and Infrastructure;
3.Product and Service Delivery, covering
Planning, Customer Related Processes,
Design Control, Purchasing, Control of
Product and Service Provision, Customer
Property, and Preservation of Works;
4.Site Visit, to assess the workmanship,
skills level, professionalism and client
management on at least one site where
works are in process. Where possible,
the vetting officer will ask to speak to the
client/s on site.
The documentary
evidence requested will
reflect the organisation’s
size and operation.
For example, smaller
organisations where
the owner/principal
has a hands-on role may be able to
demonstrate compliance to many of the
Standard’s requirements informally, relying
on verbal communication and minimal
paper-based or electronic documentation.
Larger organisations, or organisations
with ambitions for significant growth or
expansion geographically, may be required
to demonstrate greater use of robust,
documented systems.
As vetting visits have been taking place in
recent weeks, BALI is refining the process
and wants to reassure members that the
new Quality Standard is designed to give
them clearer direction as to what is required
for BALI Registered membership. It is not
intended to be prescriptive or in any way
restricting. If you would like more information
on how you might need to revisit your own
procedures to ensure future compliance,
please contact emily.feeney@bali.org.uk or
call her on 02476 698658. If you think you
are due a Review visit, you may wish to
arrange this for a time to suit your operational
commitments. Contact Emily to plan this into
BALI’s vetting and review diary.
Network,
network, network!
There are some brilliant quotes out there that encapsulate
exactly why networking is so important to doing business.
How about these for a starter:
“The opposite of networking is NOT WORKING!”
“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go
with others.”
“Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t!”
“The richest people in the world look for, and build,
networks. Everyone else looks for a job.”
“Those that win in networking give first, give generously,
and give often!”
The team at Landscape House, and those members on BALI regional
committees, work very hard to encourage members to attend events
in their BALI region. And the reason for this is that they are the perfect
opportunity to NETWORK!
Recruitment
Professionals
for the
Landscape and
Horticultural
Industries
The value of networking can’t be overestimated. All the quotes above
should give you an inkling of why it is important to meet and speak
to industry competitors, colleagues and potential customers and to
build relationships with them by exchanging information, knowledge
and expertise, and establishing trust and respect. And from that, who
knows what will follow?
This autumn, the BALI regions held some really excellent events where
the subject matter was second only to the incredible networking
opportunities they provided. They included:
• A visit to the Rocester worldwide headquarters of JCB by the
Midlands region; Mark Gregory’s talk about his project to create a
public park in Gibraltar for North Thames region; and a presentation
on selecting the correct paving and mortar at a meeting of South
Thames members. These events jointly attracted over 75 members
and guests.
• The BALI-NCF technical event ‘Coping with Slopes’ held at
Draycote Reservoir in Warwickshire was sold out some weeks
before and on the day saw 180 people attend.
• The Yorkshire and North East region annual networking event
in Harrogate, where garden designer and prolific author Noel
Kingsbury presented; and the East Anglia region dinner in Bury
St Edmunds. These two events attracted a total of 160 people
between them. Both were supported by BALI Affiliate (supplier)
members who took the opportunity to exhibit.
Talking to other designers and contractors at regional events and
finding out about the newest products and services is a major benefit
of BALI membership, so check out the BALI website’s ‘Events’ tab for
what’s coming up in your region this winter. And remember, it’s not
who YOU know, it’s WHO KNOWS YOU!
Call us on
01233 732767
info@horticruitment.com
www.horticruitment.com
The 2013 Party for Perennial
Clive Ivil (right), MD of Perennial Corporate
Sponsor Quadron Services
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Image courtesy of www.gingerhorticulture.co.uk
Go green in 2015 by
supporting Perennial
Perennial held its ‘Go Green for HortAid’
campaign when supporters, colleagues and
partners from across the industry pulled out
the stops to take part in a wide variety of
fundraising activity to support the only UK
charity dedicated to helping horticulturists.
Now in its second year, HortAid is becoming
established as an annual fixture in the horticulture
calendar and the ‘go green’ theme chosen for this
year’s event really struck a chord, including Tony
Arnold, Chairman of the Professional Gardeners’
Guild and Head Gardener at Newnham College,
Cambridge, who was sponsored to wear green
lipstick, nail varnish and tights; the garden team
from Hever Castle who dressed up as gnomes;
and visitors to SALTEX who joined in a a Kicka-thon challenge on the Perennial stand. The
campaign raised over £10,500 and will enable
Perennial to keep ten families warm this winter, or
help twenty previously homeless clients to furnish
a new home.
Preparation is now underway for HortAid 2015,
which will take place from 1st–14th September. A
number of exciting challenges are already under
consideration, including a possible rowing event
and a Three Peaks challenge. If you are inspired
to get involved, now is the time to start thinking
of what you can do to support your trade charity
during HortAid 2015, or at any time of the year.
From adventurous, physical challenges to more
laidback and lighthearted events that can be
sponsored, all efforts are greatly appreciated.
One group of fundraisers known as the Grubby
Gardeners recently went beyond the call of duty
in their support for Perennial by stripping off to be
photographed for the Naked Gardeners’ Calendar
2015. The calendar makes a perfect last minute
stocking filler and is available from the Perennial
website priced £9.99. The cheeky group was
photographed at The Roof Gardens, Kensington
in a variety of seasonal poses. For some of them,
it wasn’t the first time this year that they have
gone naked to raise awareness and money for
Perennial. Several of them shot to fame with a
naked photo shoot to celebrate World Naked
Gardening Day in May, which resulted in media
coverage, including an appearance on ITV’s
Loose Women.
Looking ahead to the New Year, Perennial is
hosting the ‘Party for Perennial’ on 15th January
2015 also at the Roof Gardens, Kensington,
following the success of its 175th anniversary
celebrations at the same venue in January 2014.
In holding this event, Perennial is reviving one
of the earliest traditions of the Gardeners’ Royal
Benevolent Society - the annual fundraising
dinner, which the charity held in its early years but
cancelled in 1915 because of the First World War
and it had never been reinstated.
We have had a great 175th anniversary year,
and have had wonderful support from the
horticultural industry, creating some fantastic
long lasting partnerships, which we look forward
to developing in 2015.
The event is open to anyone who would like to
support Perennial and is timed specifically to
give horticulturists a welcome opportunity to get
together with friends and colleagues in one of
their few quiet periods in the year. The evening will
include live music, a raffle and buffet-style bowl
food. Tickets are available now, priced £45, or
you can buy ten tickets for the price of nine. Visit
www.perennial.org.uk/party
If you would like to find out more about
Perennial, please visit www.perennial.org.uk,
email info@perennial.org.uk or call one of the
team on 0800 093 8510.
Perennial has a fantastic programme of special
events lined up for 2015, with visits to extraordinary
venues such as Belmond Le Manoir aux
Quat’Saisons and Eton College Gardens, as well
as private estates not normally open to the public
such as Euridge Manor Farm, Wiltshire and Long
Barn in Kent. Tickets are available on the Perennial
website and unsurprisingly are selling fast.
Horticultural businesses and organisations
can also pledge their support by becoming a
Perennial Partner. There is a choice of Platinum,
Gold, Silver and Bronze annual membership
available so businesses can choose the level of
donation that is appropriate for them. Becoming
a Perennial Partner can form part of a company’s
Corporate Social Responsibility Programme
and the donation can be set against profits for
Corporation Tax purposes. Above all, it is a simple
way for the industry to show regular support for
the charity that is there for them when the going
gets tough.
BALI members who are Perennial
corporate sponsors include:
Bowles & Wyer
CED Natural Stone
Green-tech
JC Coles Nurseries
John O’Conner
Landform Consultants
Oak View Landscapes
Outdoor Options
Platipus
Pro Landscaper
Quadron Services
Readyhedge
The Outdoor Room
Perennial trials monthly ‘after
work’ hours for Advice Line to
help working horticulturists
get in touch
Perennial is piloting late opening hours of
its main advice helpline to give working
horticulturists a chance to speak to an advisor
after work. The Casework Advice Line, 0800
093 8543, is now open from 12 noon–8.30pm
on the first Wednesday of every month. The
helpline is open on other weekdays from
8.30am–5pm.
Sheila Thomson, Director of Services at
Perennial, said: “We are constantly looking at
ways we can improve and extend our service
for existing and new clients. There are many
barriers to people taking the first step in
contacting us, pride and fear of refusal being
the main ones, but we would like to reassure
anyone working in or retired from horticulture
that we are here to help. Over 85 per cent of our
clients are of working age and we hope that by
offering an extended hours service each month
will enable more people to get in touch.”
Perennial’s dedicated financial helpline, the
Debt Advice Line, 0800 093 8546, is operated
by a team of trained debt advisers and already
offers extended opening every Wednesday
(12 noon–8.30pm). The monthly extension
to the general advice line will mean more
horticulturists than ever have access to a
trained professional Caseworker at a time that
suits them.
Perennial helped over 1,200 people in 2013
and over 90 per cent of them said that the
charity had a ‘huge’ or ‘quite big’ positive
effect on their lives. Kate has been helped by
Perennial now for over ten years and says it
took courage to ask for help. She recalls those
first conversations with a lasting sense of relief:
“Looking back we simply couldn’t have coped
during that time without Perennial.”
READY-SPACED, READY TO PLANT, READY WHEN YOU ARE.
READYHEDGE
RH BALI Landscape News half-page:RH BALI Landscape News
17/10/14
14:48
Page 1
Introducing the hedge in a handbag.
Readyhedge instant hedging is
now available ready-spaced in
our unique Readybags, specially
designed for even easier
handling and planting.
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c a l l t o d a y o n 0 1 3 8 6 7 5 0 5 8 5 E m a i l l i n d s a y @ r e a d y h e d g e . c o m o r v i s i t w w w. r e a d y h e d g e . c o m
Green-tech, your first
choice for landscape
equipment and
consumables
Whether you require 10,000 tree shelters in
Glasgow or one tonne of topsoil in central London,
Green-tech is able to deliver on time, every time.
• Tree shelters, spirals
and stakes
• Tree anchoring
• Tree irrigation systems
• Street furniture
• ArborRaft tree pit system
•
•
•
•
•
•
Topsoils and growing media
Grass and wildflower seed
Fertilisers
Pesticides and weedkillers
Barks
Ground reinforcement
Speak to one of our friendly team today on
01423 332 100, email sales@green-tech.co.uk
or visit www.green-tech.co.uk
2015 PRODUCT CATALOGUE OUT NOW!
REGIONAL
ROUND UP
North
West
Scotland
What a year! I think it’s safe to say the
lengthy dry season has ensured we have
all been kept busy and business has been
good. The summer has seen the success
of winning a Silver-Gilt at Tatton and an
amazing networking/garden visit to the
stunning Gresgarth Hall.
The North West region has seen lots of growth
but this has resulted in many of us having little
time to get out of the office for events. This
leads me on to the importance of balance in our
companies. I made a conscious decision at the
beginning of this year that, no matter how busy
we were as a company, we would make some
time to visit as may seminars and networking
events as we could and give feedback on what
we wanted from an association. I personally feel
this has paid dividends as we have been able
to do some fantastic business and gain some
vital knowledge, whether it is on new methods
of installation, maintenance tips or generally
achieving better buying power. This has never
meant we have compromised our company,
just added value. Therefore I would definitely
encourage you to use the great resources we
have within BALI and drop an email or call your
regional chair to find out what’s going on that
may benefit your company and also let us know
if you have any ideas for events.
Landscape House has a great resource in its
Technical Officer, Jonathan Tame. If technical
events are to go ahead in North West region
then I would appreciate feedback as to
what training needs your company has and
confirmation that you would support training
if it met those needs. This would really make
excellent use of your BALI membership.
As Chairman I wanted to ensure that the
November event was a great way for those who
Regional AGMS 2015
Our BALI regional AGMs will be taking
place in January, February and March to
allow committees to plan their events for
the year ahead. Please take note of the
date of your region’s AGM below – location
details, an agenda and the relevant papers
will be sent out to you shortly.
_v4.indd 38
16591_BA
s_Spring_2014
_Landscape_New
don’t regularly take part in such events to take a
more informal approach and engage,
The ‘meet the buyers’ event at the Tickled
Trout Hotel in Preston worked well, with eight
BALI Affiliate members each giving a 20 minute
presentation to BALI and SGD members on how
to specify bespoke products and installations.
The event was really informal with a delicious
buffet, allowing lots of valuable Q & A sessions
and plenty of time for relaxed networking. The
only disappointment was that attendance by
regional members was low when compared with
other BALI networking events in the north. This
is surprising when you consider the business
opportunities these events offer. I would like to
thank the BALI exhibitors – SilvaDec, Green-tech,
Prometheus Lighting, Natural Paving, Harrod
Horticultural, Timberplay, Makita and TreeBox
– for supporting the event and hope that those
regional members who did not attend on this
occasion will consider doing so for similar f
uture events.
Don’t forget that BALI is offering members a
£100 referral credit note as a ‘thank you’ for
introducing a new BALI member. Details in this
edition of Landscape News, or contact Shaw
Pye, BALI’s Sales Officer, for more details; you’d
be mad not to!
I would like to welcome the following new
members to the region: PSD Groundscare of
Colne, Places for People Landscapes of Chorley,
and AP Broome Landscapes and Barrington
Landscapes, both in Preston.
Finally, best wishes for a great bare root season
and lots of exciting new projects and business
in 2015.
Belinda Belt | REGIONAL CHAIRMAN
In October I attended the Regional Chairs/
Vice Chairs meeting at Landscape House
and in November I travelled down to
attend the FutureScape event at Sandown
Racecourse - it was great to see BALI and
BALI members supporting the event.
Many congratulations to the following Scotland
region members who have won BALI National
Landscape Awards this year:
• Water Gems - Private residences, Edinburgh,
EH1 - Domestic Garden Construction Cost Under £30K and Domestic Garden
Construction - Cost Between £30K – £60K
• Land Engineering (Scotland) Ltd - Dock
Street, Whitehall Crescent and Shore Terrace
Car Park, Dundee, DD1 - Hard Landscaping
Construction (Non-domestic) - Cost Over
£1.5m and Bridgegate Public Realm and
Streetscape Improvements, Irvine, KA12
- Hard Landscaping Construction (Nondomestic) - Cost Over £1.5m
• Rob Flavell Landscapes - Sandeman House,
Edinburgh, EH1 - Grounds Maintenance Limited Public Access
• GP Plantscape - Skyscanner, Edinburgh, EH3
- Interior Landscape - Installation Only and
Employer of the Year
I would like to welcome a new member to the
Scotland region, 1st Landscaping Solutions Ltd,
based in Stornoway.
I would like to thank all members who have
supported the region during 2014 and send
you my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and
prosperous 2015. The Scotland region committee
is currently planning the events schedule for the
coming year, which includes the AGM, details of
which will follow.
Jimmy Gilchrist | REGIONAL CHAIRMAN
Region
Date
Attended by
North Thames
13th January
Wayne Grills, Bob Field, Paul Downer
Midlands
15th January
Wayne Grills, Bob Field
South Thames
20th January
Wayne Grills, Paul Downer
East Anglia
3rd February
Yorkshire & North East
5th February
South West and Wales
19th February
North West
12th March
Scotland
TBC
03/04/2014 15
East
Anglia
What a fantastic year 2014 has been for East
Anglia region; the committee and members
have really gone the extra mile to put our
little part of the country back on the map.
After taking over as Chairman, along with
Vice Chairman Andy Spetch, in January and
shuffling a few things and mindsets around,
we have encouraged and inspired members
to get involved. Members are regaining the
confidence to be a proud member of BALI
and they are now businesses that want to
attend meetings and enjoy the events that
we put on.
Our committee has worked hard to change this
and I have been lucky to work alongside a great
group of people forming a powerful East Anglia
BALI team. Following our AGM in January and
a fabulous go-karting day in July, our visit to
Cambridge Botanical Gardens on 19th August
took place in glorious sunshine. The event was
just under two hours long and we were treated to
a guided tour of the gardens and a brief lesson in
the design, species and heritage of every section
of it. Although the event was not overly well
supported, it was a great afternoon for all those
who attended and our thanks to the ProScape
team for taking the lead in its organisation and to
Q Lawns for sponsoring it. Once again a good
event that financially broke even.
BALI members enjoy the Regional Dinner
Thursday, 23rd October, 2014 was a night
of good food, great company and a tipple or
three. The East Anglia Region Dinner hit Bury St
Edmunds and 57 guests sat down for a great
meal accompanied by something a little different.
Breaking from the norm of a guest speaker, a
magician took centre stage to entertain and
wow the crowd. Sponsored by Travis Perkins,
Ransomes Jacobsen and British Sugar TOPSOIL
this event was a huge success and made a profit
for the region.
National Vice Chair Paul Downer with Jakki
Jenner of Oak View Landscapes
Our regional AGM takes place on Tuesday 3rd
February at the Greene King Brewery in Bury St
Edmunds. Starting with lunch at 12 noon, the
AGM, which will be attended by BALI COO Wayne
Grills and new BALI National Vice Chairman Paul
Downer, will follow at 1 p.m., with a tour of the
brewery at 2.30 p.m.; another terrific networking
opportunity that you’d be mad to miss. Details to
follow shortly.
Finally, I am delighted to welcome new member
British Wild Flower Plants to BALI and to our
region. We look forward to seeing you at the AGM!
What a great year we’ve enjoyed and the BALI
National Landscape Awards will finish the year’s
events off in style. Once again, thank you all for
your support over the past year and let’s make
2015 even better.
Kevin Harden | REGIONAL CHAIRMAN
South
Thames
After the summer holidays, South Thames
kicked off its autumn programme with a visit
on 11th September to the National Trust’s
Sissinghurst Castle where we were treated
to a guided tour of one of Kent’s most iconic
gardens, created by Vita Sackville West and
her husband Harold Nicolson. Afterwards,
we enjoyed a pizza at a nearby pub, which
gave us a great networking and catching up
opportunity.
South West
& Wales
Sissinghurst Castle, Kent
Neither Wales nor South West regions
have managed to hold viable events in
2014, over and above the joint AGM in
Bristol at the beginning of 2014. This
regrettable lack of activity appears
to be due largely to members’ work
commitments preventing them from
attending proposed events and,
particularly in Wales region, a general
failure by members to recognise the
benefits of networking with industry
colleagues to further their business aims
and objectives.
The staff at Landscape House are very keen
to work with the two regional committees to
develop a relevant and interesting programme
of events for both regions in 2015, with some
events being joint and others targeted at
each specific region. The two regions will
once again hold their respective AGMs on
Thursday, 19th February, at Aztec West Hotel
and Spa, Bristol, followed by a talk by plant
hunter and horticulturist Tom Hart Dyke. BALI’s
COO Wayne Grills and the new BALI National
Chairman Bob Field will be attending, together
with staff from Landscape House, and they will
all be very grateful for the opportunity to hear
from regional members on what they would like
to see happening in the regions and what focus
events and activities should have in order to
encourage them to engage and take time away
from their work commitments.
New to South West region are Chic Teak of
Basingstoke and Ann Balmforth Garden Design
of Dorchester. These are two new members
who will be keen to meet other BALI members
and take full advantage of the networking
opportunities that BALI offers. To do that,
however, South West and Wales regions need
to determine what their event schedule will look
like in 2015 so do, please, email your thoughts
to emily.feeney@bali.org.uk or come to the
AGM in Bristol on 19th February and put your
ideas forward in person. Details of the AGM will
follow shortly.
In October we had a committee meeting to
discuss future events and we’ve got some great
ideas for all aspects of the industry in 2015.
Our Christmas party on 9th December is open
to all regions and we expect a great turnout. This
year it will involve a landscaping/horticulture/
general knowledge quiz and a Thai meal in
Waterloo (well, we couldn’t go North of the
Thames could we?).
The region’s AGM is on Tuesday 20th January
at Merrist Wood and will be combined with an
evening hosted by Nick Coslett of Palmstead
Nurseries who will be giving an update on tree
planting and buying, outlining the new BS 8545,
and Trees in the Hard Landscape. There will also
be talks from Green-tech and Platipus on the
materials to aid tree planting, including rooting
zones that can take heavy traffic, info on tree soils
and the latest tree anchoring systems.
It’s been a great three years for me as South
Thames Regional Chairman but I will be standing
down at the AGM to concentrate more on charity
and education work as well as writing. I will be
staying on the committee (if they’ll have me?) but
the industry’s very own National Treasure, Nick
Coslett, will be taking over from me for his third
stint as the South Thames Chairman.
Some of the events, CPD’s and visits over the past
three years have been fantastic and we’ve been
lucky enough to have had some really inspiring
speakers from very broad and diverse areas,
which has made each event unique and proves
how rich and wide our industry is.
A warm welcome to the following new members
in the South Thames region: ANB Groundcare,
Binfield; Platipus Anchors, Redhill; The Pot
Company, Tunbridge Wells; AVS Fencing Supplies,
Horsham; The London Gardener, Wandsworth; Bill
Kear Plant and Agricultural Contractors, Dorking;
AHS, Northiam.
And finally, my thanks to all members of the South
Thames committee for their support – and very
best wishes to all regional members for a healthy
and prosperous 2015.
David Dodd | REGIONAL CHAIRMAN
Leeds General Infirmary that supports children
with cancer, their families and the staff who treat
them.
Yorkshire
North East
Our Christmas Dinner and Party at the Marriott
Hotel at York Racecourse on 13th December sold
out some time ago and we are looking forward to
another memorable and enjoyable regional event.
The event gives our regional members a great
opportunity to meet colleagues and discuss the
highs and lows of the previous 12 months.
Our annual networking event at the Cedar
Court Hotel, Harrogate, on Thursday 23rd
October was another stunning success
for the region. An excellent three course
dinner was held for over 100 members and
guests.
As is customary at this event, twelve exhibitors,
most of whom were BALI Affiliate members, took
space to promote their products and services
during drinks prior to the dinner. BALI members
and members of the SGD made the most of
the opportunity to talk to the exhibitors and to
network, which is what this event is all about.
Wayne Grills introduced our guest speaker for the
evening - prolific author, landscape designer and
Wayne Grills with guest speaker
Noel Kingsbury
Midlands
Having apologised last year for the lack
of events, the Midlands region organised
a much busier diary throughout 2014.
Unfortunately though, mainly due to lack
of numbers, many of these events didn’t
take place but we will keep on trying
next year where I believe we have many
possible events to be included in our
calendar.
My thanks go to Tom O’Connell who, yet again,
arranged the annual BALI Trout Angling Day
at Eyebrook Reservoir in September. 17 BALI
members from eight member companies
across the UK attended and took part in a
great catching day. Tom was very pleased
to see so many new faces and he hopes
that this will continue in years to come.
Congratulations to Nurture Landscapes, Gavin
Jones and Horizon Landscapes who took 1st,
2nd and 3rd prize respectively. Other prizes
were handed out to Jason Tomlinson for the
Heaviest Fish and the Best Pair went to Terry
and Adam Doel of Gavin Jones. Tom would
like to thank Ross at BALI HQ for his help
in setting up the day and I understand that
the arrangements for next year have begun
already.
horticulturist Noel Kingsbury. After dinner Noel
gave a fascinating presentation on his work to
promote the use of plant communities to create
schemes that require less maintenance and that
rely on the chosen species developing alongside
each other to mutual benefit. It is a planting
discipline favoured by Noel and by landscape
designer Piet Oudolf, designer of the planting
scheme for New York’s High Line, and Professor
Nigel Dunnett of Sheffield University and Olympic
Park fame, both of whom Noel has collaborated
with on a number of high profile landscape
schemes. A charity collection was taken during
the evening and all monies collected were donated
to Candlelighters – a Yorkshire charity based at
The Tour of the JCB Visitor Centre and Loadall
Production Facility near to Uttoxeter, took place
on the 13th October. 19 people attended the
event and were treated to an excellent day;
Mark Hobbs (Regional Business Development
Manager for JCB UK) gave a presentation about
JCB and in particular the Teletruck, which is
suited to so many of our businesses. After an
outstanding three course lunch in the visitor
restaurant we were then taken around the
Story of JCB, and then the Production Facility.
The manner in which this global company
goes about its business is a lesson that so
many could learn from and I believe that BALI
members all went away with something positive
from the day. It was also good to see the
different businesses talking, networking and
learning from each other. Unsurprisingly this
day will be being repeated on next year’s diary.
Thank you to Mark Hobbs and all the others
involved at JCB, and also to Emily at BALI for
organising the day.
As I write this, we are about to hold our Regional
Dinner at Chateau Impney Hotel, Droitwich Spa,
Our Regional AGM takes place at the Best
Western Crown Hotel in Boroughbridge on
Thursday 5th February, when we will be joined by
BALI’s Chief Operations Officer Wayne Grills and
BALI National Vice Chairman Paul Downer. We
plan to start with an afternoon technical workshop
on HAVs, followed by the AGM at 6pm. Full details
will be sent out shortly and we hope many regional
members will come along and join us. As always,
please contact me if you are interested in joining
the committee or want to suggest events you
would like the committee to organise over the next
12 months.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to new
BALI members in our region: Colour your Garden,
Thirsk, PWP Landscape Design, Leeds, and
Cutting Crew, Pontefract. We look forward to
seeing you at the AGM and at other forthcoming
events.
And finally, may I thank the regional committee
for their support and also the team at Landscape
House for their hard work in organising and
promoting our events during the year. We wish
all Yorkshire and North East Region members a
happy Christmas and a profitable New Year.
Joe Zazzetta | REGIONAL CHAIRMAN
Part of the JCB Story display
where Tom Hart Dyke is the speaker. I will report
on this in the next edition of Landscape News.
I hope to see many of the Midlands members
at the BALI Awards luncheon in London in
December. Congratulations to any of you that
are listed as finalists; I would like to wish you
every success on the day.
The Regional AGM will take place on Thursday
15th January at Chateau Impney Hotel and we
will welcome COO Wayne Grills and new BALI
National Chairman Bob Field. We will also have
an opportunity to listen to and take inspiration
from a speaker. Please put this date in your
diaries; details to follow.
I would like to welcome new members Bournville
Village Trust and Street Design and look forward
to meeting them at the AGM event in January.
BALI participants at the BALI Trout
Angling Day in September
On behalf of the Midlands committee, I would
like to wish you all a busy and profitable winter
planting season, and may it continue well into
2015.
James Coles | REGIONAL CHAIRMAN
North
Thames
Our last meeting for 2014 was delivered by
North Thames’ Vice-Chair David Houghton from
Kings Landscapes (MK) on the tricky subject of
Contract Law. David outlined the pitfalls of not
providing or understanding how these contracts
work at both domestic and commercial levels
and stressed the importance of knowing when
to walk away if contract terms are unworkable,
and to always drill down to the detail on
contracts before agreeing to them. It was an
invaluable insight into the daunting world of
contractual obligation and members would do
well to pay close attention to the small print!
Following some terrific events throughout
the year, we had another great turnout in
September for a presentation by John Wyer
of Bowles and Wyer and Maggie Fennell,
manager of Boningale GreenSky, who
spoke about ‘Gardens in the Sky’, including
roof gardens and green roofs.
Maggie began by speaking about the exciting
opportunities for architects, landscapers,
builders and roofers in creating green roofs. Her
nursery is based in Shropshire and covers 40
acres; it has been established for fifty years and
began with container-grown trees and shrubs.
Several years ago they diversified to provide a
wide variety of plants for the burgeoning green
roof market. They linked up with University of
Sheffield to research the requirements of people
and the correct growing media for successful
and long-lived green roofs.
John Wyer spoke about his company’s
experiences of installing a variety of roof
gardens on several properties in London and
illustrated his talk with photographs of the work.
Bowles & Wyer are creating more and more roof
gardens for offices and apartments in London.
Many office blocks are now being designed with
integral layers of roof gardens. There are always
technical issues, but nearly always a suitable
solution.
Kate O’Shea from Perennial, the horticultural
charity, spoke to members about the charity’s
work helping those in the horticultural industry
and explained how companies can support the
charity becoming Perennial Partners.
Our October event was a talk by Mark Gregory
of Landform Consultants – ‘A Park on the
Rock’. The evening was sponsored by BALI
Affiliate Green-tech and Ian Rotherham from the
company introduced the evening and gave an
overview of his company and the wide range of
horticultural products they supply.
This was our last meeting of the year and this
will be my last report before I step down after
three years as Regional Chair at the regional
AGM on Tuesday 13th January 2015 at the
Beales Hotel, Hatfield. We will be joined by BALI
COO Wayne Grills, new BALI National Chairman
and one of our own, Bob Field, and National
Vice Chairman Paul Downer.
I am delighted to welcome the following new
members to North Thames region: Tina James
Garden Design of North Aston, Oxfordshire;
Green Moon Landscapes of Halstead; Deborah
Gibson Garden Design of Barnet; and Urban
Planters (Chelmsford, Cambridge and East
London). We look forward to seeing you at the
AGM in January.
Mark Gregory’s presentation gave members
an insight to his involvement in the creation
of Gibraltar’s first public park. Mark was
approached to construct the Commonwealth
Park in Gibraltar in 2013 and given eighteen
months to complete it. When he went to the first
meeting with his clients he was presented with
a plan drawn up by the Minister. It was a sketch
plan and not quite appropriate for the job so,
during a break in the meeting, Mark approached
the Minister and diplomatically made him aware
that the plan would not work. And so began
a logistically, horticulturally and professionally
challenging project that eventually opened on
12th June 2014. Mark illustrated his talk with
very interesting photographs of the progress of
the park’s construction.
My thanks as always to my committee and for
the support we have received from regional
members throughout the year. I would like to
wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a
prosperous 2015.
Kevin Copping | REGIONAL CHAIRMAN
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British Sugar TOPSOIL
declares best year ever
BALI Affiliate member British Sugar
TOPSOIL, the UK’s largest supplier
of topsoil to the landscaping,
construction and amenity sectors,
has declared the past year its best
ever for sales.
On the first day of the Europlants Autumn
Show in September garden designers and
contractors enjoyed a tour of the BALI
Affiliate member’s Hatfield nursery. John
Wyer of BALI contractor Bowles and Wyer
welcomed visitors to the Open Day and
the tour was led by Chris Richards, Sales
Account Manager at Europlants.
In the year to September 2014, the
company supplied 240,000 tonnes of BS
3882:2007 topsoil to projects across the
UK. This is over a 20% increase on the
amount of topsoil supplied in the year
ending September 2013.
Andy Spetch, National TOPSOIL Manager
said; “TOPSOIL is the ultimate sustainable
product. By recovering, screening and
blending the rich arable soils that adhere
to the 7.5 million tonnes of sugar beet
delivered by farmers to British Sugar’s
UK factories, we are providing our
landscaping, construction and amenity
customers with a natural, consistent
product that meets BS3882:2007.
“Our sales figures for the past 12 months
speak for themselves; customers want
to use sustainable products but not at
the expense of quality, consistency and
regulatory compliance.”
Mark Richardson from Stewart Landscape
Construction uses British Sugar TOPSOIL
in a lot of his projects. He said: “Having
successfully used Landscape20 for over
10 years I know that I will always get a high
quality, consistent topsoil.”
British Sugar’s highly integrated
approach to manufacturing aims to
transform all of their raw materials into
sustainable products. They recycle soil
for landscaping, stones for building and
lime for soil conditioning. 500,000 tonnes
of animal feed is also produced from the
sugar beet pulp.
TOPSOIL’s product is stored undercover
at the company’s four sugar factories,
Bury St Edmunds, Cantley, Newark and
Wissington, ensuring availability and
consistency all year round. It is available
for delivery to projects across the UK in
loose, bulk loads.
www.bstopsoil.co.uk.
AHS - the one-stop shop for all your
landscaping and aggregate supplies
Each AHS customer is given a dedicated sales
team member who is always available at the
end of the phone. Its key products are:
• Bark and Woodchip
Since its establishment in 1992, new
BALI Affiliate member AHS has grown to
become the market leader in the supply of
bark and woodchip products throughout
the UK. The company also supplies a
wide range of aggregates and other
landscaping products and this is helping
to build AHS an enviable reputation as a
one-stop-shop for landscapers.
The company works hard to ensure it provides
a superior service, along with quality products,
competitive prices and raw materials obtained
from renewable or sustainable sources. It
boasts the best sales team in the industry with
in-depth knowledge of the range of products
available and advice on the most suitable
solution for each project. Its delivery service,
too, is fast and efficient.
Europlants Autumn Show
draws industry professionals
• Play Safety Surfacings
• Aggregates – general and decorative,
including cobbles, pebbles and boulders
• Soil, Composts and Improvers
• Tree Planting and Care – from tree and
shrub shelters to tree anchors and irrigation
systems
• Landscaping products – from ground
reinforcement and lawn edging to sleepers
and grass seed
• Drainage products – comprehensive range
from the world leaders in surface water
management systems
• Wildlife products – everything you need to
ensure your projects support and protect
wildlife and habitats
www.ahs-ltd.co.uk
Over the three days of the event many visitors
from around the country, including garden centre
buyers, garden designers, landscape contractors,
landscape architects and local authorities enjoyed
a taste of Italy with a sample showroom set up to
display a huge range of plants from Europlants’
main supplier Vannucci Piante. Staff were on
hand with suggestions for the most attractive
plants and the best current offers. Of particular
interest was Europlants’ newly developed area
of the nursery displaying monumental size
specimens in an individual setting enabling
landscape professionals to imagine these plants
in the landscapes they are designing.
Although every day is open day at Europlants,
during the Autumn Show guests were treated to
a buffet lunch and a glass of Vannucci wine. The
show was, apparently, a great success with many
enquiries and orders taken for the season ahead.
www.europlants.net
Euroflor display wins praise
Lake Meadows, a popular and extremely wellvisited park in the heart of Billericay, Essex, has
received much public praise for a flower meadow
sown with a Euroflor seed mix. The flourishing
‘Friends of Lake Meadows’ group of volunteers
and supporters work together with Basildon
Council to maintain and develop the park.
“We have been overwhelmed
that so many park users have
commented on how amazing
the flower meadow is and how
much they have enjoyed it,” say
the Friends of Lake Meadows.
Park users have used comments
like “stunning” about the flower
meadow adjacent to the lake.
The meadow was sown in the spring by the council,
using designs supplied by the Friends incorporating an
‘S’ shaped grass walkway celebrating Major Spitty - a
local landowner who excavated the lake during the 19th
century depression using unemployed farmworkers.
Seeds, planting advice and expertise were provided by
Rigby Taylor using a mix called ‘Sarah Bouquet’, which
provides height, colour and a prolonged flowering
period.
Around fifty annual flowers are included in the Sarah
Bouquet mix, which is sown in March and flowers from
May through to the first frosts of October or November.
Euroflor and Rigby Taylor consultant Howard Wood
said: “We are delighted at the public reaction to this
flower mix, which is one of our most successful.
www.rigbytaylor.com. For a free Euroflor
brochure call Freefone 0800 424919
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Boningale celebrates
clients’ successes
at BALI Awards
Wildflower Turf
goes European
BALI Affiliate Wildflower Turf Ltd based
in Overton, Hampshire, has announced
their expansion into Europe with the
first distributor of Wildflower Turf now
operating in Belgium and servicing the
Benelux countries. Frank Adriaenssens,
a prestigious landscape architect
and garden designer, is a newly
accredited Wildflower Turf installer
and will be distributing wildflower
products throughout Holland, Belgium,
Luxemburg and beyond.
Desire for wildflower meadows across the
Benelux region is high, as the appreciation
for the natural environment or more
particularly the ‘back to nature’ philosophy
has growing momentum. People are trying
to reflect this philosophy in public and private
spaces and want to create a natural and
wildlife friendly atmosphere. Consequently
the demand for wildlife-friendly planting
to support biodiversity is on the rise and
wildflower meadows perfectly comply. They
are uncomplicated, beautiful and particularly
cost-effective for larger areas.
Adriaenssens reports, “The soil-less growing
system of Wildflower Turf Ltd, to create
an instant wildflower meadow, is a unique
feature in Europe. Moreover, the expertise
and the high quality of their Wildflower Turf
products, make it possible for European
landscape professionals and gardeners to
successfully create an English wildflower
meadow in a very short period of time.”
James Hewetson-Brown, Managing
Director at Wildflower Turf Ltd said, “We
are delighted to welcome Frank as one of
our Accredited Installer Partners and as our
Benelux distributor. We have been keen to
help the Benelux market whose environment
is clearly facing similar biodiversity issues.
Business trips and site visits will certainly
be interesting and fun; we will enjoy the
opportunity to sample the fantastic array of
Belgium exports!”
www.wildflowerturf.co.uk
Boningale Nurseries is celebrating another
winning streak after learning that all
three winners in in the Soft Landscaping
Construction (Non Domestic) under
£300,000 category had been supplied
with its top quality nursery stock. This is
the second year running that the leading
Albrighton-based company has contributed
to winning schemes in the BALI Awards.
Sustain Landscapes Ltd won an award for its
work at Harton Quays Park, South Shields and
Elmtree Garden Contractors Ltd won two awards:
the Principal Award for Bristol Harbourside,
Building 4 and Millennium Promenade, Bristol,
and an award for its landscaping at Bath Western
Riverside Podium. Boningale also supplied two
winners in the Grounds Maintenance - Free Public
Access category: Continental Landscapes for its
landscaping at Wychavon Parks, Wychavon, and
The Landscape Group, which was recognised
for its excellent work at Eastbourne Seafront
Promenade and Carpet Gardens.
Frank Sandford, Sales Director at Boningale
Nurseries, said: “We are very proud indeed to be
associated with all of these winning landscaping
projects, which demonstrate the very highest
standards in the industry. “The BALI Awards are
the Oscars of the landscaping profession so to
have played a role in five winning projects this
year is testament to the quality of stock we supply
and the calibre of the clients we work with.”
Frank added: “Congratulations to all the awardwinning Contractors, and we thank them for
placing their business with Boningale.”
Last year, Boningale Nurseries also supplied
three winners, The New Birmingham Library
(pictured here), The Co-operative head office in
Manchester, and St Antony’s College, Oxford.
www.boningale.co.uk
New Wyevale Nurseries’
catalogue launched
Wyevale Nurseries’ new 169 page
catalogue is its first for 17 years aimed
specifically at the landscape and amenity
sector. It contains more than 2,500 lines
and all the plants listed are grown by the
Hereford-based BALI Affiliate member.
Adam Dunnett, Sales
and Marketing Director
at Wyevale Nurseries,
explained: “We are
one of the UK’s largest
amenity growers,
something we are very
Wyevale’s
proud of, but with our
Sales Manager
tree, transplant and
Andy Congera
container grown plant
nurseries all being separate up until this year,
we have struggled to get the message out
about our incredibly wide range of plants.
“The fact that we have brought our three key
landscape amenity production companies
back together into one, it seemed the
perfect year to produce a catalogue which
represented the new collective company,
Wyevale Nurseries.” The Landscape Amenity
sector accounts for nearly 70 per cent of
Wyevale Nurseries’ turnover.
Adam continued: “Having spent a number
of years as a buyer, I’ve seen lots and lots of
supplier catalogues and one thing in particular
that used to frustrate me was the unrealistic
prices. We have aimed our catalogue prices
at market rates with price bands, which we
hope makes this catalogue a useful working
document. We grow all the plants listed in the
catalogue, a claim very few of our competitors
could make, and we really are a one-stop shop
for companies working in the landscape and
amenity market.”
www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk.
QuickHedge – instant mature hedging from Boningale
BALI Affiliate member Boningale Nurseries
has been appointed the UK distributor for
Netherlands-based QuickHedge.
At its 25-hectare nursery in Boekel, QuickHedge
grows more than 540,000 plants in 20 varieties
and in several heights of maturity, including the
young hedge plants that require an average
of six years to reach maturity before they are
sent out to clients. The strong root system
and exceptionally high quality means that the
hedging is suitable for all kinds of domestic and
commercial landscaping projects.
The plants come delivered in convenient
ready-to-plant containers of biodegradable
cardboard, making them easy to install.
They are also available to order in a variety of
forms, including indigenous, exotic, flowering,
ever-green and fruit-bearing. Frank Sandford,
Boningale Nurseries’ Sales Director, said: “We
are delighted to be appointed UK distributors
for QuickHedge. We’ve used their mature
plants on a number of projects and have
always been really impressed with the quality.
It’s rare that you can achieve instant results in
soft landscaping but this ‘hedging in a box’
gives clients a great alternative to fencing or
walling, plus they offer a low long-term cost of
ownership.”
www.boningale.co.uk
Planning permission
granted for
Green-tech’s new
A1 development
Green-tech is celebrating after hearing
that planning permission has been
granted by Harrogate Borough Council
for their new site in North Yorkshire, just
off the A1 between junctions 47 and 48.
The new site, to be known as Rabbit Hill
Park, will house Green-tech’s £9 million
business, the HQ office, warehouse and
distribution facility, new trade store and
their 40 plus strong team.
The company has also been awarded
a £200,000 grant from the York, North
Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise
Partnership’s Business Grant Programme,
part of the Government’s Regional Growth
Fund, which supports the creation of new
jobs and business growth. Green-tech’s
Project Manager Tom Parker said: “The
award of both the grant and planning
permission is fantastic news. A lot of hard
work has gone into this, not only from
the Green-tech team but also from David
Boulton, our Planning Consultant from
Carter Jonas in Harrogate, and Chris
Smith, our Architect from York-based
Lawrence Hannah. The new site is well
planned and will become a valued asset in
the local area, offering Green-tech future
growth potential as well as supporting the
local economy.”
Managing Director, Rachel Kay, continued:
“We are delighted with the announcement,
this news rounds off our anniversary
year perfectly. We are a Yorkshire-based
business and it is important to us that we
use other local businesses. We will be
appointing contractors between now and
Christmas and intend to use Yorkshirebased contractors and source as many
Yorkshire materials as possible.”
The project is estimated to cost £2 million
and will start with groundwork’s early in the
New Year. Green-tech hope to be up and
running in their new location by September
2015, just in time for their busy 2015/16
landscaping period.
Green-tech 2015 Product
Catalogue out now
The new 2015 Green-tech printed
catalogue is now available to landscape
contractors, architects and garden
designers across the UK. This season’s
catalogue is a bumper issue with the
addition of a British Standard Subsoil, three
new ranges of wildflower seed and the
latest grounds maintenance machinery to
hit the landscape market.
Each year Green-tech donates 10p to
charity for each catalogue distributed. This
years’ worthy beneficiary is Great Ormond
Street Children’s Hospital. With in excess
of 6000 catalogues distributed throughout
October the charity fund will be off to a
healthy start.
For your copy of the new
Green-tech 2015 catalogue email:
marketing@green-tech.co.uk
or call 01423 332 100.
Green champion named
Dorset Entrepreneur of
the Year
Green champion and Managing Director
of BALI Affiliate member Eco Sustainable
Solutions, Trelawney Dampney, has been
crowned Entrepreneur of the Year at the
2014 Dorset Business Awards. Trelawney,
who runs one of the UK’s most successful
organics recycling and renewable energy
companies, won the prestigious title in the
face of stiff competition.
The judges praised his broad network of local
and industry connections and “continuous
and close attention to market developments
and technological advancements.” They
added: “Trelawney’s business achievements
in terms of sustained growth and profitability,
coupled with his ‘can do’ approach,
resilience, energy and clear passion for the
Eco business and the sector within which it
operates, contributed to the judges’ decision
to name him as the overall winner of the
Entrepreneur of the Year Award.”
Trelawney said winning the award was
a “tremendous honour”, adding: “It is a
huge tribute to my family, who have been a
continuous and constant support, and my
team at Eco who work hard and always strive
for the best results.”
This year’s Dorset Business Awards had ten
categories. To qualify as Entrepreneur of 2014,
the individual or team had to demonstrate
the realisation of their entrepreneurial vision
and have a clear plan in place to achieve
sustained growth in future. In particular, the
judges were looking to recognise outstanding
achievement, innovative business concept,
growth and good management skills.
Eco was founded by Trelawney in 1993 and
now employs 46 people with an annual
turnover of £11 million. Its Parley operation in
Dorset processes 150,000 tonnes of material
annually, producing enriched topsoil, compost
and woodchip for the landscaping and
construction industries. Eco currently handles
250,000 tonnes of organic material each year
across four facilities.
A recent extension to the company’s core
business is energy generation through both
an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant and a solar
farm. In addition, the company has received
planning consent to build a biomass to energy
plant.
Nearly 700 people attended this year’s
Dorset Business Awards at the Bournemouth
International Centre. The Entrepreneur
of the Year category was sponsored by
Bournemouth University.
www.thisiseco.co.uk
Green-tech
celebrates its
20 year anniversary
BALI Affiliate member Green-tech
celebrated twenty years in the landscaping
industry in October. Founded by Richard
and Rachel Kay in 1994 with a second
hand van, £200 and an office in their
house, Green-tech has grown today to a £9
million plus turnover business, operating
out of massive 30,000 sq ft warehousing
and office facilities north west of York,
employing more than 40 staff and selling
over 6000 products.
Chairman Richard Kay said: “We are incredibly
proud of all that we have achieved over the last
twenty years. We’ve had highs and lows but
we have a great team behind us and business
is booming so we have a lot to be thankful for.
We don’t take our market-leading position for
granted and never rest on our laurels; we’re
always looking to improve and grow. We plan
to invest heavily in expanding our Green-tree
topsoil business in the south for 2015, we’re
looking at new markets for John Chambers
Wildflower Seed arm and we will continue to
develop relationships with landscape architects,
contractors and designers, so as you can tell we
have no plans to slow down at Green-tech any
time soon.”
Rachel Kay, Green-tech’s Managing Director,
added: “We’ve worked hard over the years to
offer a wide range of products, quickly and as
promised. We’ve built great relationships in the
industry with customers and suppliers alike and
this keeps us at the forefront of change. We know
what the challenges, needs and expectations
of the industry are and I think this has helped us
stay ahead of our competitors, that and the fact
that are prices are keen and we just do the all the
simple things well.”
Green-tech started celebrations with team
social events, a joint open day with Johnsons
of Whixley and the publication of a twentypage anniversary supplement that provides
an in-depth look at their brands, products and
people. They also hosted a celebration dinner
with a hundred or so colleagues from across the
industry at Landscape Live. If you would like a
copy of the Green-tech anniversary supplement
please email marketing@green-tech.co.uk.
www.green-tech.co.uk
Solid gold achievement by Harrod UK
Investors in People is the UK’s leading
accreditation for business improvement
through people management and provides
a wealth of resources for businesses to
innovate, improve and grow, with a focus
on good people, making a great business!
BALI Affiliate member Harrod UK was first
awarded IiP status in 1996 and, having
maintained the accreditation ever since,
has now achieved the Gold standard.
Co-ordinated by David Bowling, Harrod UK’s
Manufacturing Director, and Hazel Stimpson,
the company’s HR Manager, David said “This
was no mean achievement as Gold standard is
achieved by less than 1 per cent of all companies
striving to achieve IiP status. The prestigious
award is described by IiP as an achievement
of ‘world class best practice’ and means we
are considered to have the highest standards
of people management and development that
support our business goals. Achieving Gold is
recognition of the commitment and passion of
our team members and testament to the fact that
everyone is fully engaged in our vision.”
Hazel added: “I feel as proud as I expect
the rest of team Harrod do at this very well
deserved achievement. Being only one of three
manufacturing companies to have achieved this
prestigious award in the whole of the Eastern
Region is truly wonderful.”
Lateral Design
Studio wins
SGD Product of
the Year 2014
Gaining Investors in people makes a statement
about the kind of organisation you are, the
way you operate and the core values that
drive a company forward. Managing Director
Stephanie Harrod commented: “It isn’t just
about setting yourself apart or inspiring others.
The accreditation is also about attracting new
talent, clients and business, whilst improving
productivity, enhanced quality and employee
engagement and motivation. It’s a true reflection
on how important our staff are to us and stresses
the importance of how we as a company will
continue to progress and grow in the future. We
have come a long way in the past sixty years,
constantly striving to improve our company
and our culture. It was even more fitting that we
should achieve this very high standard in our
60th year.”
During the assessment process IiP assessors
Dave Abdul and Allan Churchman spent time
at the company’s 12,000m2 site in Lowestoft,
interviewing a cross-section of staff and senior
management in order to gain an extensive
overview of company culture, procedures,
practice and staff investment. In addition,
Harrod UK was required to demonstrate at least
165 pieces of evidence to achieve Gold; they
demonstrated 172! Dave Abdul commented
“Harrod UK is a learning organisation, which
punches well above its weight and where culture
The Designer Landscape Drain Cover from
new BALI Affiliate member Lateral Design
Studio was named SGD Product of the Year
2014 at the Landscape Show in London’s
Battersea Park. The award was determined
by votes from visitors to the Landscape
Show, where the ten shortlisted products
were displayed side-by-side.
Society of Garden Designers immediate past
Chair, Juliet Sargeant MSGD, who announced the
winner said: “With a vast range of new products
available to garden-makers every year, the SGD
wanted to find and celebrate the very best of
them. We know that great gardens are achieved
when professional garden designers use the
finest products to implement their visions and I’m
delighted that designers have chosen such an
innovative product as the winner in the first year of
the competition.”
Lateral Design Studio is a family run company
with 30 years’ experience in the construction
industry. It successfully fuses unique designs
with cutting edge technology, turning functional
construction and landscape products into art,
including external covers for drains, gullies and
manholes; beautiful decorative tree grates;
garden screens; swimming pool and spa drain
eats strategy for breakfast.”
Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People at the
UK Commission for Employment and Skills said:
“We’d like to congratulate Harrod UK on their
Gold Standard. Such a high level of accreditation
is the sign of great people management
practice, and demonstrates a commitment to
staff development and shows an organisation
committed to being the very best it can be.
Harrod UK should be extremely proud of their
achievement.”
Peter Aldous Local MP for Waveney was
delighted to congratulate the Directors and Team
at Harrod UK by presenting them with the IiP Gold
Certificate and plaque at their offices in Lowestoft.
covers; and a new level access drain solution
for glazed doors – ‘Aqualevel’. All products can
be used for both residential and commercial
landscape schemes.
The company offers a ready-made product range
as well as a bespoke service for clients who wish
to commission their own designs. Materials and
finishes include stainless steel, cast iron and a
natural Jonite stone composite.
John Harte, Managing Director, said: “We have
turned the mundane into masterpieces, offering
garden designers and landscapers a real choice
with our range of highly desirable covers. We’re
a small family run company and this award has
made all the hard work worthwhile.”
The company’s designed covers can be used on
driveways, patios, balconies, and in gardens and
have been specified for urban schemes including
Blackburn Cathedral.
As well as offering a wide range of set designs
for both modern and traditional projects, Lateral
Design Studio’s in-house team can tweak an
existing pattern or commission a completely new
one for clients, producing them in a choice of
materials and finishes.
www.lateraldesignstudio.co.uk
Mobility kerb inspires
new product line for Brett
A specialist mobility kerb that has
been installed across regions of South
Yorkshire has proven so successful that
the manufacturer, BALI Affiliate Brett
Landscaping, has added the product to its
standard paving catalogue, making it freely
available to national developers and local
authorities alike.
The kerb, which features an upstand of 30mm
between carriageway and footpath, provides
adequate channel drainage and aids mobility for
wheelchair users and pushchairs. A protruding
lug at the rear of the kerb helps to hold it reliably
in place, providing greater stability throughout the
kerb’s lifetime.
So far, the kerb style has been successfully put
to use across four districts of South Yorkshire,
predominantly throughout private development
sites, which have and will be adopted by the local
authority. Jamie Gledhill, Northern Specification
Manager at Brett Landscaping, explains: “In
modifying this traditional style of kerb, we’ve
developed a product that is extremely high quality,
has proven capability and is also cost effective. So
far, it has been introduced across adoptable roads
throughout Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham,
with the most recent installation having been
completed within a private housing development
by Persimmon Homes.” The Brett Landscaping
kerb is also among the solutions used by Sheffield
City Council Highways Adoption Group.
Jamie goes on to detail why the concept for
developmental improvement was made: “We felt
that introducing a nib at the rear of the kerbstone
would be a progressive development; one which
would be beneficial, not only to aid level setting,
but actually to increase the longevity of the stones.
As a more stable installation it is far less likely to be
affected by potential vehicular impact.”
He explains that the success of, and demand
for, the re-designed kerb in South Yorkshire has
spurred Brett Landscaping to feature the adapted
product within its standard catalogue, and
continues: “In reconfiguring this kerb solution to
better mobility solutions we have developed a more
appropriate option than some of our alternative
block paving kerb units, namely a unique rear lug
element that benefits installation wherever mobility
access is required. Our success in South Yorkshire
has given us confidence that it is, of course,
appropriate for use anywhere in the country.
Because its design makes it eminently suitable for
so many applications we’ve now decided to roll
the mobility kerb out into our standard Commercial
Range catalogue, enabling many more contractors
to gain from the improvements we’ve made in this
vital area of mobility access.”
www.brettpaving.co.uk
Tobermore paving
graces Heron Lakes
luxury lodge park
Set in 75 acres of idyllic landscaped
lakes and woodland just four miles
from the picturesque market town
of Beverley, East Yorkshire, Heron
Lakes luxury lodge park has recently
undergone a breathtaking landscaping
makeover. Designed and delivered
by Heron Lakes Ltd, the landscape
surrounding these lavish holiday
homes has been reinvented with the
incorporation of Tegula and Tegula
Trio, some of BALI Affiliate member
Tobermore’s finest block paving
products.
Tegula paving evokes a timeless elegance as
a result of an amazing tumbling manufacturing
Stonemarket
welcomes garden
designers and
installers to
annual event
Stonemarket showcased its range
of landscaping products to over 80
garden designers and installers, at
an exclusive event recently. The event
walked visitors through Stonemarket’s
full range of patio and driveway
products, including a range of new
products for 2015.
With a selection of high-end products to
transform gardens and driveways, from
British materials to natural stones from
across the world, BALI Affiliate Stonemarket
is at the cutting edge of landscaping
product development, with an innovative
design team with an eye for garden trends.
Displayed at the event were a number of
stunning new concrete and natural stone
patio and driveway products, as well as
Stonemarket’s brand new range of vitrified
paving, a material which offers stunning
good looks combined with impressive
technical performance.
Visitors were also given an exclusive sneak
preview of the 2015 brochure cover which
features the brand new natural stone
product Stonespar. Available in two preblended mixes, this cutting edge option can
be used in a multitude of applications. All
new products will be available to order from
January 2015.
process used at Tobermore. Tegula products
model a natural weathered stone appearance
and can transform the appearance and
character of any area. Tegula and Tegula Trio
in subtle, demure Slate was the ideal colour
choice for the landscape at Heron Lakes,
complementing the relaxed, understated
ambience beautifully.
www.tobermore.co.uk
As well as product displays, displayed
on eye-catching stands and in minibrochures, garden designers and installers
were able to take advantage of a factory
tour. Product demonstrations also kept
guests entertained as they watched the
installation of Templeton Driveway Setts
and the fast point system in action, whilst
one of Stonemarket’s stone experts gave
a presentation on how to tell good quality
stone from bad.
www.stonemarket.co.uk
Iconic British brands
choose Chic Teak
Steel planters ‘galvanise’
the growth of IOTA’s
business in 2014
Steel planters have become the fastest
growing product area for IOTA, the specialist
planter supplier. Steel planter projects
delivered in 2014 include schemes for London
Borough of Havering, Bristol University,
The Oval cricket ground, the Snowhill
development in Birmingham, and for Warner
Brothers’ new offices in central London.
Planters can be supplied in a wide range of steels
and finishes, including stainless steel, Corten steel
and galvanised steel, but the majority of IOTA’s
production is in zinc-plated ‘Zintec’ steel with
a polyester powder coated (PPC) finish. IOTA’s
Zintec PPC planters offer excellent value in terms
of cost vs. technical performance, in addition to a
durable, hard-wearing and flawless surface finish.
As IOTA’s Chief Executive, Mark Chessell,
explains: “We can work across all metals – not
only steel, but aluminium, and also soft metals
such as lead and copper. However, stainless
steel and powder coated steel planters are 90
per cent of what we are asked to make, and
powder coated Zintec, in particular, is the material
of choice for most projects. Zintec PPC offers
exceptional value, and a high standard of finish,
and powder coating is a much more creative
finishing technology than you might perhaps
Dragon helps business ‘glo’
Earlier this year, BALI Affiliate member
Ornamental Garden Lighting won priceless,
one-to-one business mentoring from former
Dragons’ Den investor and Yo! Sushi founder
Simon Woodroffe, thanks to a nationwide
competition run by The Times in partnership
with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Mike
Shackleton and Nicky Gregory, directors of
the Farnham-based company, were among
only four other business owners to win this
covetable prize.
To win the entrepreneurs fought off hundreds
of other entrants from across the UK by first
submitting a video presentation for consideration,
then pitching their own particular case in person
to an expert panel. The panel consisted of
The Times’ Deputy Business Editor, Andrew
Clarke, Simon Woodroffe himself and business
psychologist Tony Crabbe.
imagine. There are some really beautiful specialist
powder coats out there, opening up almost
limitless scope for colour customisation; and with
a bit of time and effort, we can almost always find
a powder coat to meet the brief. So Zintec PPC
has a unique combination of benefits, and it often
ends up being the right answer – for example,
when the planters on a project need to be valueengineered to fit the budget whilst still retaining
the architect’s aesthetic vision for the scheme.”
BALI Affiliate member IOTA custom-manufactures
steel planters in any shape or size, from simple
geometric shapes to complex architectural
designs. IOTA also offers bespoke manufacture
services in other materials, such as granite; and
the service extends beyond planters to other
items of street furniture (such as custom made
chairs, benches etc.).
www.iotagarden.com/bespoke-planters
Ornamental Garden Lighting was chosen
because the judges felt it was an extremely
interesting business, which uniquely capitalises
on the skills Mike Shackleton developed during
a long career in the film business, based initially
on his experience as a lighting cameraman and
latterly, as a film director. Woodroffe is acting
as the lighting designer’s personal business
troubleshooter, using his considerable contacts
and experience to advise and inspire them, with
the aim of helping the eight year old business
move up to the next level.
Mike Shackleton said: “This is a truly fantastic
opportunity and our mentoring sessions with
Simon Woodroffe are both interesting and
challenging. He’s clearly an extremely talented
man and, right from the beginning, he asked
some very astute and probing questions”.
As a result, Shackleton very quickly established
a new subsidiary company, named ‘glo’ (Garden
Lighting Options) to provide professional garden
lighting to smaller town gardens, at a fixed cost.
According to Simon Woodroffe: “Many
people I come across stroke their beards and
procrastinate but, in just two months, Mike
Shackleton has gone and made it happen. It’s
fantastic! He already has the first glo clients
under his belt and now has a product that I think
thousands of people in towns and cities with
smaller gardens will want.”
Dragon Simon Woodroffe (centre) with
Nicky Gregory and Mike Shackleton
For more information about the new
‘glo System’ of garden lighting, please visit
www.ornamentalgardenlighting.com/
garden-lighting-options
Whilst some readers may not be familiar
with the name Chic Teak, some of Britain’s
most iconic brands are supplied by this
new BALI Affiliate member. The National
Trust, English Heritage, the MCC at Lords,
Henley Royal Regatta and most of the
country’s City and County Councils, have
all chosen beautiful teak outdoor furniture
from Chic Teak.
Based in rural Hampshire, the UK’s leading
designer/manufacturer and importer of luxury
outdoor living and garden furniture has firmly
established an envious reputation amongst its
peers over the past twelve years for outstanding
quality and excellent customer service. All
furniture is covered by a comprehensive 10 year
guarantee and can be delivered fully assembled
nationwide.
Teak is rich in natural oils and minerals and it
is extremely durable and resistant to fungal
decay, water rotting, warping or shrinkage.
Requiring little or no maintenance in the
constantly changing British climate, it is ideal
for outdoor applications. Chic Teak uses only
premium grade ‘A’ teak and each piece is
manufactured from ethically sourced, Indonesian
government controlled plantations and carries
SVLK certification. FSC accredited timber is also
available, subject to availability.
Managing Director Carl Drake is a designer
by profession and has almost thirty years’
experience in the furniture industry. He has
collaborated with landscaping professionals and
Chelsea Gold Medal winning garden designers
alike and presents a bespoke solution to enable
them to realise their creations.
Chic Teak has a 4000 sq ft showroom for both
retail and trade customers boasting the largest
selection of teak planters, tree benches and
benches in the country. Visit the Chic Teak
website at www.chic-teak.co.uk to view
their entire range and for showroom
location details.
The Materials
The Schemes
The Lifestyle
East meets West
Designed and Built by ISOLA Garden Design.
East meets West …. with Irish and Chinese materials
for a Japanese inspired garden.
Scheme: Private garden, Warwick. Designer: ISOLA Garden Design.
Materials used supplied by Stockscape: Carlow Blue limestone paving in flamed and line chiselled finishes.
Royal White granite flamed paving.
New display area now open!
T: 0845 050 5592
www.stockscape.co.uk
NEW MEMBERS & TESTIMONIALS
New Members (as at 31/07/2014)
Full Contracting
Affiliate
Associate
Midlands
Bournville Village Trust
South West
Ann Balmforth Garden Designs
South Thames
ANB Groundcare
The London Gardener Ltd
North West
AP Broome Landscapes Ltd
South Thames
AHS Limited
Platipus Anchors Ltd
The Pot Company
AVS Fencing Supplies Ltd
Chic Teak Ltd
South Thames
Bill Kear Plant & Agricultural
Contractors Ltd
EVG Landscapes Ltd
North West
PSD Groundscare
Yorkshire North East
Colour Your Garden
Scotland
SealEco Ltd
North Thames
Green Moon Landscapes
Yorkshire North East
PWP Landscape Design
Midlands
Street Design Ltd
North West
Places for People Landscapes Ltd
Scotland
1st Landscaping Solutions
East Anglia
British Wild Flower Plants
Training Provider
North Thames
Urban Planters (Chelmsford,
Cambridge and East London)
Registered Designer
North Thames
Tina James
CMATS (Eastern) Ltd
Membership revoked
BST Groundscare
Applications in progress
Full Contracting
Acacia Gardens Ltd
JC Gardens & Climbing Frames Ltd
Bamboo Landscaping
Goodinsons
Gardenrama Company
Frognal Gardens Ltd
Thomson Habitats
Russell Landscaping Ltd
Kestrel Contractors Ltd
Ipswich Borough Council
Beechill Landscapes LTD
Mactus Ltd
Diverse Commercial Solutions Ltd
JS Lee Landscaping
London Decking Company
The Head Gardeners Limited
Groundlands Limited
YMCA DLG
Affiliate
Andy Steadman Landscape &
Garden Design
TESTIMONIALS
Bournville Village Trust ‘I have worked with Lloyd Gower (BVT
Landscapes Manager) for seven years in his previous role with
Oakleaf Grounds Maintenance and have an excellent working
relationship. Now with BVT, he remains flexible and positive with
regard to his clients.’
ANB Groundcare ANB ‘Groundcare undertook the works in a
professional manner and to a very high standard and I would
recommend them to others if they want a good job done.’
British Wild Flower Plants ‘The service we have received from
British Wild Flower plants has been of a high quality.’
Street Design Limited Overall the company provided an excellent
service with good communication.’
PSD Groundscare ‘We have always found PSD to be a reliable
business partner.’
Chic Teak Limited Service was outstanding, great product,
communication and helpfulness. A pleasure to deal with.’
AVS Fencing Supplies ‘Excellent supplier with a good range of
high quality products, customer service and competitive prices.’
The Pot Company The Pot Company is a very well appreciated
customer, for their fair and honest treatment and also for their
stable way to do business.’
Platipus Anchors Ltd ‘We are very pleased to work with the team
at Platipus because their customer service is always excellent and
there is a friendly voice at the end of the telephone to help with
any problems. We would highly recommend them.’
AHS Limited Can’t fault the speed of service from returning
quotations through to supplying product AHS have been
consistent in their service to us over the 22 years we have been
dealing with them.’
1st Landscaping Solutions ‘We found 1st landscaping Solutions to
be reliable, honest and reasonable.’
PWP Landscape Design PWP have been an outstanding company
to deal with. They have both designed and created the most
amazing garden for us, which has totally set our house apart from
all the rest in our local vicinity. I would highly recommend PWP
and have in fact done so on several occasions throughout the
past 12 months.’
Urban Planters (Chelmsford, Cambridge and East London)
‘First class service and support’.
AP Broome Landscapes Ltd Excellent service throughout.
We have dealt with this company for many years, and strongly
recommend them.’
The London Gardener LTD ‘From the first moment I met The
London Gardner, I was taken with how passionate Emma is
about her work. I felt that she cared about the result of my
garden as if it was her own yet all elements of the project from
design to quote to the physical aspects of the project were
carried out in an extremely professional manner.’
Landscaping Solutions
Changing the landscape
of Telford town centre
Penter natural clay pavers played a key role
in the creation of the brand new Southwater
urban redevelopment and retailscape
Sienna, Mastiek and Auraton pavers were
chosen for the £250million project
The retailscape paving offers a striking
combination of warm tones and crisp textures
Penter natural clay pavers
defined separate zones within the
retailscape through herringbone and
stretcher laying patterns
At the heart of landscaping.
With the ability to create the subtle transition
between modernist architecture and natural
surroundings, Penter pavers were the perfect
choice to deliver aesthetic coherence to Telford’s
groundbreaking Southwater redevelopment.
Tel: 0845 303 2524
Email: office@wienerberger.co.uk
Twitter: @wienerbergeruk
www.wienerberger.co.uk/landscapes
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06/11/2014 15:21
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