GREEN & BLUE INFRASTRUCTURE
The designs that were developed reflect the public consultation by introducing street trees and rain gardens and creating better public spaces on Northgate and Rawson Square .
Eric Wright Civil Engineering was awarded this high-specification public realm scheme and following the specifications set by the Council ’ s Landscape Architects turned to Green-tech for the supply of materials for the soft Landscaping element of the project .
The project aims to deliver local improvements that help tackle climate change , reduce the risk of surface water flooding , and help preserve and protect the environment of the conservation area .
This is addressed in the soft landscaping scheme that included the installation of a new tree planting scheme and raised rain gardens as part of a Sustainable drainage system ( SuDS ) throughout the scheme , which consisted of planting 2,000 plants and 34 trees .
The Project Landscape Architect , Andrew Mindham , has been recognised as a Rising Star in the 2023 susdrain SuDS Champions Awards .
SuDS are designed to manage stormwater locally to mimic natural drainage and encourage its infiltration , attenuation , and passive treatment . A network of ‘ rain gardens ’ has been installed in Bradford as part of a drainage system that is designed to help mitigate local flooding risks . Rain gardens are areas of planting designed to temporarily hold , filter , and soak away any rainwater that runs off buildings and paved areas in a more sustainable manner rather than straight into sewers and helps to prevent the overloading of sewers .
Green-tech supplied 440 tonnes of Bioretention Soil and 240 tonnes of Green-tree subsoil to create the rain gardens . Green-tree Bioretention Soil provides an efficient permeability rate to avoid waterlogging on the surface area but holds sufficient nutrient levels and organic matter to support the vegetation used . It has been developed around the CIRIA SuDS manual guidelines for filter media in a SuDS application and uses the highest quality sands and green composts .
The planting of semi-mature trees will contribute to the physical landscape , whilst creating new habitats and increasing biodiversity by providing wildlife corridors and connections between green spaces . Providing options for wildlife to travel is essential for urban biodiversity .
Working in a busy city centre with high volumes of vehicular and pedestrian traffic caused significant challenges for all involved . There was limited access to areas of the site and restricted space for material storage . Needing to avoid double handling and risk of contamination , all soils were delivered directly to the working areas with GRAB lorries and spread within the planters . A just-intime delivery approach was adopted which considered the works access and delivery times to reduce the impact on the local area .
Harry Logg , Project Manager from Eric Wright Civil comments , “ This project was within a heritage area , traditional high-quality paving was installed throughout the site and the soft landscaping had to compliment that . Green-tech was chosen as they supply specialist soils to a high specification , meeting our biosoil drainage requirements whilst also being competitively priced . They are collaborative in their approach to working . Ben from Green-tech was always available by phone and email to respond quickly to the deliveries we requested and kept us updated on their scheduling . This was a critical factor in the success of the site given its location . The soils delivered were always of the same consistent quality , had good workability , and the new planting within soon flourished . We are delighted with the end results ”.
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