Landscape
Amenity PRODUCT UPDATE
MARCH 2016
Artificial Turf Maintenance
Weed Control The products and services to tackle invasive pests
A round-up of the growing market
Page 12-16
Ride On Mowers Jane Carley casts an eye over the latest models
Page 31-34
Page 18-20
Green light given to over 80 pocket parks throughout the country More than 80 unloved and neglected urban spaces across the country will be transformed into green oases for everyone
to use, thanks to a share of a £1.5 million dedicated fund, Communities Secretary Greg Clark has announced.
Increasing the availability of green space draws more people outside, giving residents, particularly in urban areas without gardens of their own, more space to relax, get together with their neighbours, grow food and provide a safe space for their children to play. Now 87 community groups, from Newcastle to Penryn in Cornwall, will have the money to create their own ‘dream’ pocket parks, developing small parcels of land, sometimes as small as the size of a tennis court.
delivering on the government’s manifesto commitment to deliver pocket parks across our country. “These winning bids all have a strong community focus at the core of their plans and their designers have thought up highly creative ideas to turn unloved urban spaces into the green lungs of their communities that will be enjoyed for years to come.”
Communities Secretary, Greg Clark, said: “Parks and green spaces breathe life into our bustling towns and cities providing communities with precious spaces to get together, exercise and play.
Graham Duxbury, Groundwork Chief Executive, said: “Every year Groundwork helps hundreds of thousands of people of all ages to organise and work together to protect, preserve, improve or create green spaces on their doorstep.
“Our funding will benefit urban areas with few green spaces,
“We’re delighted the government is supporting communities and
councils to do more. For many local groups, improving the park at the end of their street is the first step in getting much
more involved in how their neighbourhood is run.”
The winning bids include: • Permarin Community Group plan to turn an unused area of tarmac in Penryn into a native Cornish garden with space place for children to play outdoors. • The One Voice – Action for Disability Community Group in Wolverhampton, who plan to turn a 30-year-old tipping zone into a natural wildlife area, working with local residents and people with poor mental health or physical disabilities to create the pocket park. • The Monkey Park Community Interest Company in Chesterfield who will use their funding to build a riverside
walkway, allowing people to walk along the Holme Brook and enjoy the natural green space threading through the heart of the community. • The Friends of The Chuckery Village Green in Walsall will make the most of the cherry trees on their derelict plot by planting an edible herb and vegetable garden with a plan to create pies and jams. • Cherry Orchard Gardening Services, a community group in Staffordshire, have been awarded funding to create a pocket ‘Park-our’ for local teenagers to practice parkour, the increasingly popular urban sport, in a safe environment.
DCLG
Enquiry 1
John Deere Gators get on track Lely splits into new trading company John Deere has approved the use of Camso rubber tracks on its Gator utility vehicles in Europe, following their availability in the US for several years. An XUV 855D Gator equipped with a Camso UTV T4S four-track system supplied by UK distributor Supatracks was recently featured on the company’s stand at LAMMA 2016. Designed to extend the versatility and all year round use of these popular all-terrain vehicles even further, the Camso tracks reduce ground pressure by up to 75 per cent to less than 1 psi and take less than two hours to install in place of the wheels, with no other modifications required.
Track widths are 318mm (12.5in) in front and 356mm (14in) at the rear. The tracks are steered and therefore minimise disruption of the soil surface when driving off-road. Camso tracks are manufactured in Canada by the same company that supplies units for John Deere’s
8R, 9R and new 9RX four-track Series agricultural tractors. The Gator’s standard deluxe Mauser ROPS frame can be upgraded to a full glass cab if required, and models can be ordered with a variety of other factory and dealer installed options and attachments. John Deere
Enquiry 2
The turfcare side of Lely’s businesses has split and a new trading company, called Turfcare Technologies Limited, is now effective.
in an ideal structure for growth in current market segments and as importantly, for any new ones, when they should come along,” he added.
David Cole, managing director of the new Turfcare Technologies, says the rationale behind the business separation was to create two independent businesses, each having the freedom to develop their own strategies and able to focus on growth in their own and respective markets.
Since January 1 2016, when Turfcare Technology came into effect, an approach has developed for the Turf business to become part of Royal Reesink N.V., resulting in Lely and Reesink, with the full support of The Toro Company, signing a ‘letter of intent’ for Reesink to acquire the Lely Turf business.
“This process of evolution, while challenging during its implementation, places the Turfcare business including Turfcare in Ireland and Denmark
READER ENQUIRY 4
Royal Reesink N.V. is a Netherlands based holding company specialising in the distribution and sale of capital
equipment and allied support services. David confirms that at this stage this announcement is one of mutual intent to reach agreement for the change in the ownership of the Turf business. “While not finalised yet, this is seen as a further, positive opportunity for the future of the company’s Turf activity,” he added. “The ‘agreement of intent’ with Reesink will now move to the final stages of a due diligence process with the completion of the transfer of ownership expected during the second quarter of 2016.” Lely UK
Enquiry 3