In an ideal world there a number of simple rules that should be adopted by a housing organisation when considering the management of their landscapes.
The key requirements
The key requirements are that the organisation has:
· site plans of all their schemes that include a representation of the landscape
· an idea of what the landscape is trying to achieve at the scheme
· an idea of the money available to spend managing the landscape
· an idea of the skills available with which to carry out that management
These requirements, when written down, would together form the landscape management strategy for the organisation, which would of course be consistent with the organisation’s Mission, Vision and Values, and would guide all landscape management decisions. The strategy will give guidance on the occasions when a request for shrub pruning or tree removal may (or may not) be granted, be that for legal, emotional or environmental reasons, as well as the mechanisms for the local communities to refer such requests to the organisation for a rational and consistent decision.
Site plans
Preferably each scheme would have an electronic site plan available to scale that could be reproduced at will and reviewed by a competent person at appropriate intervals. The plan would include a more-or-less accurate, current, representation of the landscape at the scheme.
The function of the landscape
The site plan would indicate the function of each component of the landscape, such as “boundary screen” or “barrier planting” which would in turn link to the landscape management strategy for the individual scheme and to the organisation’s budget.
The budget
Obviously every head of service will want a big budget, but it is not always necessary to make big sums available in order to achieve the required outcome. If the landscape management strategy is carefully written then certain tasks may be undertaken by well-supervised volunteers for example, or by trainees: in this way costs will be kept down whilst skill levels on site should be maintained at an acceptable level. For example, one way to help spread the budget may be to adopt a long-tem policy of “early intervention” so preventing a situation escalating in complexity and so in the likely cost to resolve satisfactorily.
The skills matrix
Horticultural and arboricultural tools in inexperienced hands may pose an unacceptable hazard and so it will be important to have the right matrix of skills available on site in order to deliver the required outcomes from the landscape management strategy.
It is possible that under a carefully developed strategy staff who hold the City and Guilds NPTC Level 2 Award in Chainsaw And Related Operations CS31 - Fell and Process Small Trees (i.e. trees whose diameter at felling height is between 200mm and 380mm) will be considered competent to carry out the bulk of the routine landscape management work, requiring the organisation to refer only the most complex tasks to specialist suppliers.
The additional components
The additional components that will help to successfully deliver the landscape management strategy include:
· a landscape survey for all of the schemes
· an analysis of the landscape at each of the schemes
· a balanced work programme
· a means to share the programme with local communities
The next step
If I can be of any help to you as you develop your ideas for a cost effective, sustainable landscape management strategy then please do not hesitate to contact me on my mobile which is 07501 059 566 or via email go2Jonathan.Hazell@gmail.com
Thank you,
Jonathan Hazell
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