Landscape
Amenity PRODUCT UPDATE
JULY 2015
ATVs, UTVs, Work Trucks and Trailers
Grass Cutting Machinery
Soft Landscaping Case studies and latest developments
Round-up of the leading products
A look at the industry workhorses
Page 15-21
Page 14
Page 22-25
API welcomes report but urges more to get children active The Association of Play Industries (API) is urging policy makers and head teachers to take a broad approach to tackling the physical inactivity crisis so that children of all ages and abilities are motivated to be active before, after and throughout the school day.
teachers to implement a wholeschool approach to physical activity which sees physical literacy valued as highly – and assessed as rigorously by Ofsted as literacy and numeracy. In fact we called for this in our own General Election asks.
The API, the voice of the UK play sector, welcomes the key recommendations set out in not-forprofit health body ukactive’s Generation Inactive report, launched by Baroness Tanni GreyThompson, but is concerned that it will encourage policy initiatives that over-focus on school sport to the detriment of other important, more inclusive forms of physical activity like outdoor learning and play.
“We also support the proposed repurposing of the current Sport Premium for schools as a Physical Activity Premium which is a logical step to ensure children are physically active during every aspect of school life, not just during PE lessons.”
API Manager Deborah Holt says: “We wholeheartedly support the report’s recommendations for head
“We are concerned, however, at the implications of the recommendation to introduce structured playtime activities. This will inevitably enforce participation in rigid, competitive sports activities which alienate
many children and may put them off physical activity for life. “Children also need opportunities to play freely and spontaneously between lesson time. The physical, developmental and social benefits of active outdoor play are well-evidenced and we believe sacrificing play would have a negative impact on children’s well-being.” The association supports ukactive’s recommendations to improve teacher training but calls to extend the scope beyond PE provision. It says that teacher training institutions should provide high quality training on effective ways to build physical activity of all kinds into every aspect of the curriculum and of the school day. Enquiry 1
API
New BIM tools aimed at landscape professionals Specialist software provider to the landscape designers, architects and contractors, Keysoft Solutions has developed a library of free Building Information Modelling (BIM) assets. The free tools include a practical guide, jargon buster, checklist and webinar to help them to prepare for compliance by January 2016. The UK Government has mandated that Level 2 BIM must be used on all centrally-
funded construction projects by 2016, including landscape. This means that to work on these projects landscape professionals need to be able to collaborate with central government departments and ensure their technology and processes are BIM compliant. Mike Shilton, product director at Keysoft Solutions explains: “Anyone already using our software is working to at least BIM Level 1 but it is also Level 2 compliant, enabling customers to prepare the
“The most important thing about applying BIM Level 2 is the impact that it has on business processes rather than software and this is where the new library will add most value.”
Keysoft Solutions Enquiry 2
Palmstead Nurseries Enquiry 3
Less packaging waste Less risk for transport & storage
Drift reduction properties
Half of those questioned (51%) felt that the industry was on the right track but that more could be done in terms of embracing
sustainability, while a quarter said they ‘still didn’t feel sufficiently equipped to know enough about their carbon footprint’.
Clean, non-hazardous label*
The survey, undertaken by Palmstead Nurseries ahead of its Strictly Sustainable workshop on 16 September, questioned participants on their plant choices, carbon footprint and their clients’ knowledge and appetite for sustainability. The results reveal that only half of those questioned were using sustainably sourced plants, with fewer than a quarter (23%) using
recycled concrete and just 39% integrating sustainably sourced water into their projects.
High load 480g/l glyphosate
A survey of 100 landscape professionals, garden designers and landscape architects suggests that fewer than a fifth of clients (19%) are asking for sustainability to be part of a brief.
W NE
Build stewardship into your weed strategy
necessary data, so it is just a matter of ensuring they have the right collaboration and information sharing processes in place.
Landscape industry could do more in encouraging sustainable practice
Less risk of damage to non target areas
Rainfast in 1 hour
Less risk of run off, more glyphosate gets to roots
Giving you the Advantage
*UK Pesticide Legislation
Monsanto UK Ltd. PO Box 663, Cambourne, Cambridge CB1 0LD. For further information on Roundup® contact the Monsanto Technical Helpline on 01954 717575. Email: technical.helpline.uk@monsanto.com Web: www.monsanto-ag.co.uk Roundup is a registered trademark of Monsanto LLC. Roundup contains Glyphosate. USE HERBICIDES SAFELY. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND PRODUCT INFORMATION BEFORE USE. © Monsanto (UK) Ltd 2014.
READER ENQUIRY 4