Out of 145 entries submitted in 2019, 91 National Landscape Awards have been bestowed on 63 members of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), with several members winning an Award in multiple categories. Since the event was brought back in-house in 2018, numerous records have been achieved including the
The government is to invest some £20 million to improve the National Cycle Network, including new routes, better surfacing, and improved links to other transport modes. The 22 schemes announced today follow 10 other projects announced earlier this year, to upgrade the National Cycle Network, which spans more than 16,000
A total of 100 towns across England are to be supported by the government’s new £3.6 billion Towns Fund to build prosperous futures and develop innovative regeneration plans. The 100 places invited to develop proposals for a new generation of multi-million-pound Town Deals have been announced by Local Government Secretary
To put it simply, green building, or eco-friendly building means developing and applying environmentally-conscious strategies throughout the entire process of elevating a building. Eco-friendly construction practices are starting to gain more and more popularity, and for good reasons. They are not only good for the environment, but in the long
A new-build development forming part of an existing fruit farm in Cornwall will soon see more than fruit coming out of the ground, it will also be extracting heat. Coastline Housing’s scheme of 26 affordable houses and flats in the small village of Mitchell near Newquay, will be heated by
Whether you are planning to remodel the old one, or have made a new purchase, renovating the driveway puts the finishing touch to your home. However, before getting on with the task, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration. Material A range of materials can
Out of 145 entries submitted in 2019, 91 National Landscape Awards have been bestowed on 63 members of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), with several members winning an Award in multiple categories. Since the event was brought back in-house in 2018, numerous records have been achieved including the most entries received in the past 10 years as well as the highest number of entries from first-time entrants at 51, 35% of the total entries and an incredible record of 34 International entries. Notable wins include five Awards for Registered Contractors Nurture Landscapes, four Awards for Garden Club London and three Awards for Rosemary Coldstream MBALI of Rosemary Coldstream Garden Design. Registered Contractor Sky Garden, who recently joined BALI also took home an Award for its scheme ‘One Bayshill Road’ in the ‘Soft Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) – Under £500K’ category whilst Bridgman & Bridgman, another new member, won an Award for its roof garden at IKEA Greenwich. The BALI National Landscape Awards’ expert Adjudication Panel, led by John Melmoe was joined by BALI Chief Executive Wayne Grills, Operations Manager Kirsty Wood and Events Project Manager Leah Brookes for a three-day deliberation marathon in late August where each of the 145 entries were scrutinised. Reflecting on this year’s tough deliberations, John said: “The meeting was extremely heated at times, with in-depth discussion on each and every scheme submitted. This is a very healthy process with a blend of good humour thrown in. The complexity of some projects entered is always interesting and shows the diverse nature of the industry in which we are involved. The majority of categories were well supported, but we noted a very strong presence from the domestic categories. The quality of both the presentation and precision of execution within this sector were extremely high. The commercial sectors have some serious competition coming through. Each year the range of projects submitted continues to grow and we need to portray the industries’ capabilities to a wider audience within the construction industry and beyond. The Awards provides the platform for showcasing the industries skills and has increased in stature to become the leading event in the landscaping calendar. I cannot wait to gauge the anticipation of the members at this year’s ceremony.” Leah, who is managing the event from BALI Landscape House, said: “This is my first BALI National Landscape Awards event and I have been so impressed with the high standards achieved by members. With a record number of entries since 2009, it proves that the Awards remain the largest landscaping Awards event in Europe, celebrating and rewarding schemes in the UK and internationally. I personally had the pleasure of joining some of the Adjudicators on their site visits this year, to get a firm understanding of the process. It’s true what they say, they really do leave no stone unturned when judging is underway.” Wayne added: “Looking at the results this year, it’s clear our members are some of the world’s most talented, highly skilled landscape professionals, with projects that continue to set the benchmark in quality standards. Using cutting-edge technology and incorporating state-of-the-art materials helps to define these schemes and sets them on pedestals that are in a league of their own. Members have also demonstrated ways they have invested heavily in training and attaining industry – recognised accreditations, an exemplary achievement considering budget restraints and fluid economic market conditions. Congratulations to each and every one of you and I look forward to seeing you displaying your achievements on your own website and marketing materials.” With the ceremony fast approaching, it has been confirmed that sport and lifestyle presenter Mark Durden-Smith is the host for 2019 and tickets are now on sale and expected to sell-out quickly upon the release of this year’s winners. The ceremony will be held on Friday 6 December at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London with Headline Sponsor and BALI Registered Affiliate Green-tech. For more information and for tickets visit baliawards.co.uk. Early Bird rates are available until Monday 23 September 2019. BALI National Landscape Awards 2019 – Award Winners Domestic Garden Construction – Under 30k – Sponsored by Derbyshire Aggregates • LDC for A Private Residence in Leytonstone • Boast About The Garden for Outdoor Kitchen & Seating Area • Garden Club London for Private Residence in Teddington • Langlea Garden Design & Construction for Line Domestic Garden Construction – Between £30k – £60k – Sponsored by Palmstead Nurseries • J & S Scapes for Private Residence in Weedon • Garden Club London for Private Residence in Middlesex • Garden Club London for Private Residence in London • Landscape Associates for Private Residence in Peckham Domestic Garden Construction – Between £60k – £100k – Sponsored by Johnsons of Whixley • HG Landscapes for ECS • Isola Garden Design for Family Lifestyle Garden • Graduate Gardeners for Private Residence, Kirtlington, Oxfordshire • Baikie Landscape Construction for Private Residence in Burghclere • PWP Landscape Design for Private Residence in Harrogate Domestic Garden Construction – Between £100k – £250k – Sponsored by Van den Berk Nurseries • Verde Landscapes for Private Residence in Kent • J & S Scapes for Private Residence in Wingrave • The Outdoor Room for Ribbon Wheel Garden • Living Landscapes for Private Residence in Surrey • Outdoor Options for Belvoir House • Greenhaven Group for Pendlehaven • Landscape Associates for Private Residence in Wandsworth Domestic Garden Construction – Over £250k – Sponsored by Europlants UK • LDC for Private Residence in Esher • Inscapes for Private Residence in Old Windsor Soft Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) – Under £500k • Bowles & Wyer for Newnham College • Sky Garden for One Bayshill Road Soft Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) – Over £500k – Sponsored by Bourne Amenity • NT Killingley for University of Northampton, Waterside Campus • idverde for Sauchiehall Street Avenue, Glasgow Hard Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) – Under £500K • Blakedown Landscapes (SE) for Cannon Park Memorial • NAO Landscapes for Bedford House • PC Landscapes for Exbury Centenary
The government is to invest some £20 million to improve the National Cycle Network, including new routes, better surfacing, and improved links to other transport modes. The 22 schemes announced today follow 10 other projects announced earlier this year, to upgrade the National Cycle Network, which spans more than 16,000 miles of on-road and off-road cycling and walking paths. Making the announcement, Cycling and Walking Minister Chris Heaton-Harris, said: “Cycling and walking are sustainable forms of transport, which help to keep people active and clean up the quality of our air. “This funding will put the right infrastructure in place, so people can enjoy new routes on foot or by bike, supporting the government’s ambition for cycling and walking to become the natural choice for shorter journeys by 2040.” The funding focuses on fixing dangerous junctions, reducing traffic levels, building better surfaces, creating more accessible paths, and improving route signage. The projects include: • re-routing the Fylde coastal path to become traffic-free, between Blackpool and St. Anne’s • creating a new pedestrian and cycleway, the Gooseholme Bridge in Kendal • improving accessibility and safety of the Liverpool Loopline • a community-led re-design to improve the quality of the existing Bristol and Bath railway path • improving signage and building a new crossing for the Wolverhampton Wayfinding • building a traffic-free and accessible corridor from Sheffield to Doncaster • constructing a new traffic-free path alongside in Buckinghamshire While the government funding will be used to improve the quality of existing sections of the network, the projects will also improve integration with existing infrastructure. For example, cycle routes around areas including Sheffield, Doncaster and Buckinghamshire will benefit from improved connectivity and safer off-road routes. Anita Konrad, National Director, England at Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity and the custodian of the National Cycle Network, said: “The National Cycle Network is a -wide asset which helps nearly 4.4 million people make car-free journeys each year, benefitting local economies, public health and the environment. “This investment will help build on the network’s success and we look forward to working with local authorities and partner organisations around England to achieve a network of walking and cycling paths that are safer and more accessible for everyone, regardless of their age and abilities.” The cycling and walking investment strategy, published in 2017, sets out the government’s ambitious plan for active travel. Almost £2 billion is projected to be invested over this Spending Review period in cycling and walking between 2016/17 and 2020/21 and investment per head has increased three-fold since 2010. The government long-term vision is for cycling and walking to become the natural choice for all shorter journeys, or as part of longer journeys, by 2040.
A total of 100 towns across England are to be supported by the government’s new £3.6 billion Towns Fund to build prosperous futures and develop innovative regeneration plans. The 100 places invited to develop proposals for a new generation of multi-million-pound Town Deals have been announced by Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP. The towns eligible for support from the £3.6 billion Towns Fund include places with proud industrial and economic heritage but have not always benefitted from economic growth in the same way as more prosperous areas. Communities, businesses and local leaders will now join forces to draw up ambitious plans to transform their town’s economic growth prospects with a focus on improved transport, broadband connectivity, skills and culture. A total of 45 places across the Northern Powerhouse and 30 places in the Midlands Engine are among the 100 pioneers of new regeneration fund as part of the government’s commitment to level up all regions by boosting productivity, skills and living standards. Local Government Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, said: “Ensuring that prosperity and opportunities are available to everyone in this country, not just those in London or our biggest cities, is at the heart of the mission of this government. “We want to level-up our great towns, raising living standards and ensuring they can thrive with transformative investment in transport, technology, skills and culture. “I will now work with local people from the 100 communities announced today to agree proposals to invest up to £25 million in each place. I hope these deals will provide the investment and the impetus for long-term renewal ensuring each town can look to the future with a new optimism.” Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, Rt Hon Jake Berry MP also said: “In July, the Prime Minister promised to level up 100 towns across the country, and today we’re delivering that promise. “The best answers for local people will come from local people, that’s why we have listened to people living in these towns and will support them with a mega £3.6 billion fund to drive jobs and economic growth. “Five years on from the launch of the Northern Powerhouse, we are reaffirming our commitment to the people of the North so they have the support they need to be at the leading edge of a confident, global Britain when we leave the EU on 31 October.” The announcement on the regeneration fund follows the Prime Minister’s confirmation in July of an additional £1.325 billion to support towns as part of a renewed vision to level up our regions, which took the total value of the Towns Fund to £3.6 billion. The government will soon publish a prospectus to guide towns through the process and set eligibility criteria for funding. Once approved, new Town Deals will improve connectivity, provide vital social and cultural infrastructure and boost growth – with communities having a say on how the money is spent. Decisions on funding any proposals will be made in due course. The Town Deals Fund builds directly on the government’s commitment to decentralising funding and decisions away from Whitehall and investing in the growth of local economies and devolving powers through ambitious City and Growth Deals, providing more than £9 billion of funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships and introducing 8 metro mayors in England.
To put it simply, green building, or eco-friendly building means developing and applying environmentally-conscious strategies throughout the entire process of elevating a building. Eco-friendly construction practices are starting to gain more and more popularity, and for good reasons. They are not only good for the environment, but in the long run, they are also more efficient and cost-effective. The main goals of green building are to minimize the environmental footprint, not only during construction, but throughout the entire existence and usage of the building. Basically, anything you can do to reduce the negative impact that the construction of a new building has on the environment, from the energy required to transport materials, to the one needed to heat the entire structure, can be considered a step forward towards green building. But what are the best eco-construction practices? Smart house designing Every good project starts with a good plan, so the first step towards an environmentally-friendly building is developing a strategic layout. First of all, you must take into consideration the area where the building is going to be placed. Does is get sunlight all day long? Are there any tall buildings around it? How is the weather in this area? These are all questions that need to be answered prior to designing the layout. When it comes to room placement, the best way to make use of sunlight as much as possible is to place the most used rooms on the sides of the house where you get the most sun. This way, you can reduce the use of artificial light throughout the day. Of course, to get as much sunlight as possible, you need big windows. Design the windows to both fit the aesthetic and functionality of the house. In the living room area, you can even go as far as having an entire wall made of windows. If possible, consider a skylight or roof windows, for extra light. Insulation, insulation, insulation Insulation is paramount for preserving energy. It helps keep the heat or cold in, reducing the need for overusing the heating or cooling installation. The problem with conventional insulation materials is that they contain toxic chemicals either in their composition or in the adhesives used, which not only endanger the environment, but also the people living inside the house. Those chemicals are slowly released into the air and are inhaled into the lungs. Fortunately, there are many natural materials that can be used for insulation, which do not present any harm. Some of those are even more affordable than conventional materials. Sheep’s wool, for example, can be used as insulation and does not contain any chemicals. If you want an even more eco-friendly option, you will be pleased to know that recycled cotton, obtained from discarded pieces of clothing that are being shredded, is another effective insulation option. Some companies even produce insulation boards made out of wood fiber. The boards are made out of wood chips that are left over by the timber industry, which are then glued together by using natural, non-harmful adhesives. Mindful waste disposal Without proper disposal of the waste that is resulted from construction, all those other good practices would be meaningless. If the construction process requires the demolition of an old building, instead of disposing of the materials on landfills, where they would just turn into piles of dirt, they can be sent to recycling centers, where they can be later on recycled into new construction materials. Another way to safely and easily dispose of construction materials is to hire skips. Although statistics show skip hire prices are increasing across the UK, you can still find plenty of cost-effective and reliable options online. Price is usually determined by the type of waste that needs to be disposed of, current demand and traffic levels, but typically the average price does not exceed £350 for an 8 cubic yard skip. Before disposing of anything, make sure it can not be reused in other future projects, which could bring out significant cost reductions. Part of the roofing, for example, can be reused to cover a pergola for the back yard, or a small garage. Use sustainable materials Of course, make use of as much recyclable or biodegradable products as possible. Apart from reusing old materials, contact companies that provide recycled construction materials. Brick, mortar, adhesives, there is a wide range of companies that now produce recycled or non-harmful materials for construction purposes. When possible, also make sure to purchase locally sourced materials. This helps both to support local suppliers and invest in the economy of your city, but also to avoid transportation costs and energy use. Transporting materials form long distances has a massive effect on the environment, as large trucks are known to bet the biggest reason for near-road air-polluting. Apart from construction materials, make sure to promote the use of energy-efficient house appliances also. LED bulbs, for example, last 35 times more than incandescent bulbs and can help save up to 75% more energy. Low-flow toilets are also a good option for saving water, as well as low-flow showerheads and taps. Harness renewable energy Last, but not least, promote the installation of solar panels as much as possible. When it comes to solar panels, some people are scared by the initial prices of installation, but in the long run, the return is worth the investment. Some governments even offer help to those who want to invest in solar panel installation. Solar panels can also be used in the construction phase, to generate power for the equipment used. This will not only reduce operational costs, but will also back-up the eco-friendly practices you are trying to promote. This will serve as an example for the entire industry and prove that the way construction was done by now can be improved. Taking care of the environment is a duty that everyone should perform. It shows concern for the issues that the entire world is confronted with at the moment and provides people with
A new-build development forming part of an existing fruit farm in Cornwall will soon see more than fruit coming out of the ground, it will also be extracting heat. Coastline Housing’s scheme of 26 affordable houses and flats in the small village of Mitchell near Newquay, will be heated by Cornish-manufactured Kensa Shoebox ground source heat pumps and installed by sister-company Kensa Contracting. George Gillow, Business Development Manager for Kensa Contracting says, “it is a pleasure to be involved in a project which will bring affordable, low carbon heating to local families.” Currently under construction, each home will have its own heat pump, which will be connected to a series of shared borehole ground loops. The Kensa Shoebox can provide low cost heating by either underfloor heating or traditional radiators, in this case the efficient houses will be heated by radiators with a 45°C flow temperature. The low carbon, energy efficient heating system will be eligible for the government’s non-domestic renewable heating incentive (RHI), which will give the Redruth based Housing Association valuable extra income over the next 20 years. The homes are being built by South West building company EBC, based in Newton Abbot, which will be offered to local people for affordable rent and shared ownership. The development was made possible thanks to funding of just over £1million from Homes England. Amy Jenkin, Development Manager at Coastline Housing, said: “We’re very happy to be working with Kensa to install ground source heating into one of our new build developments for the first time, giving our customers guaranteed access to a efficient, sustainable heating.” The development that is part of the fruit farm will work in harmony with the continuation of the family run Mitchell Fruit Garden, operating since 1977.
Whether you are planning to remodel the old one, or have made a new purchase, renovating the driveway puts the finishing touch to your home. However, before getting on with the task, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration. Material A range of materials can be used to construct a driveway — each one comes with its advantages. Ready-mixed concrete has emerged as a popular option due to its consistently high quality. It requires the least maintenance, and it is the most durable of all other alternatives. Asphalt driveways are also becoming a popular choice these days. Often, calculating the quantity for the material becomes a hard job. There are several online asphalt calculators available for your convenience. This asphalt calculator helps you calculate the weight and volume of the material required for the purpose. Layout The layout of your driveway will guide the construction of the driveway that you desire. The idea of renovation offers you an opportunity to try out different plans and designs than the existing one. A straight path from the street towards the garage is one of the most common and simplest driveway layouts. Other than this, one could also consider a circular driveway. One of the most popular designs in recent times is the horseshoe. These layouts work best for a home with a busy street as it provides an easier in and out access. Access You must realize that not all visitors to your home will be entering through the garage. Therefore, it is essential to have a walkway from the front door to the driveway for the visitors. Ideally, the same material should be used for both of these as it gives a cohesive appearance. With homes in snow prone area, you should ensure that you will be able to create a safe walking space even after clearing out the driveway. Also, proper drainage needs to take care of to avoid water puddles in the rainy season. Season Timing becomes crucial when you are thinking of redoing your driveway. You will first be needed to clear the old driveway, prepare the area, and install the new surface. Depending on the material you are employing, it will take time to dry. Therefore, the weather becomes an essential factor. Ensure to schedule the renovation such that there isn’t any rain in the near forecast. Also, you should try to avoid working in extreme temperatures. Following your comfort, you can also schedule the renovation in phases. Maintenance The type of design and material installed in the driveway will inform the need for future maintenance. The objective is to create a durable driveway; however, even the most durable of materials need upkeep. Concrete driveways develop cracks quickly, primarily if tree roots spread underneath. The asphalt driveways require resealing every couple of years. Also, If you have a stone or brick driveway, then it is always advisable to keep the extra ones for replacement time and again.
