Upton Village Green Playground Opening

On Sunday 17th March, Oliver Peace, Upton athlete, unveiled the new play area at Upton Village Green.

The opening was attended by local residents who had the chance to meet Oliver and try out the newly installed equipment. For the event there were also bouncy castles, drinks and snacks to provide a fun day out for the attending families.

We worked with Groundwork, the designers and Sutcliffe Play, the equipment providers, to deliver this all ability play area with inclusive play equipment including an inclusive roundabout, dish, and springie.

Here are some photos from the opening day event on Sunday 17th March 2019.

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MV Derbyshire Memorial Garden Opening

There was an official opening for the MV Derbyshire Memorial Garden on Saturday 15th September, when the garden was officially opened by former MP, John Prescott. Photos of the opening ceremony can be seen here and a video of the ceremony can be seen here.

Horticon Ltd were delighted to be involved in this special project. Through careful programming and liaison with our client and suppliers we were able to ensure the garden was ready in time for the opening ceremony.

See the article posted on the Liverpool Express for further information.

 

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BALI Award Winners

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The winners of this year’s BALI National Landscape Awards have been announced and Horticon Ltd are delighted to have won two awards for the Tiger Trail at Knowsley Safari Park. The scheme was successful in both the “Hard Landscaping Construction (cost over £1.5 million)” and “Regeneration Scheme (over £500k)” categories.

 Further details about the judging process and a list of all the winners can be found here.

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A Snowy Site Visit to Knowsley Safari Park Tiger Enclosure

Horticon Ltd were appointed as the Landscape contractors for a design and build project to create a new Tiger Enclosure at Knowsley Safari Park. 

Here are some photos taken on a site visit during the snowy weather. Our workers haven't been put off despite the freezing temperatures and the project is on track for completion this Easter.

 

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Arnold Bennett Statue Unveiled

A statue celebrating Stoke-on-Trent's most famous literary son has been unveiled – on what would have been his 150th birthday. The two metre high bronze sculpture of novelist, playwright and essayist Arnold Bennett was revealed to the public on 27th May. A host of guests and civic dignitaries, including Bennett's grandson Denis Eldin, attended the unveiling outside the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley.

The statue was commissioned by the Arnold Bennett Society, funded by the Denise Coates Foundation and gifted to the city. Arnold Bennett Society vice-president Ray Johnson MBE said: “The statue is the culmination of very careful planning for a number of years, and we are thrilled that it is being unveiled on such an historic day."

The Arnold Bennett society worked with local sculptors Michael Talbot and Carl Payne to create the statue and Horticon Ltd were engaged by Stoke City Council to construct the accessible plinth for the statue. Our works were carefully programmed with the artist to ensure there was sufficient time to install his sculpture before the opening. Mr Talbot, from Leek, said: “We've placed it at ground level so you can sit with it, have your photograph taken with it. It's not elevated on a plinth in a traditionally superior way, it's accessible to the public as he wrote about Stoke-on-Trent and the people of Stoke-on-Trent.”

Further details can be found on the Stoke Sentinel and ITV News

Atherton Cenotaph Memorial Garden

Horticon were delighted to be involved in the project to create a memorial garden around Atherton Cenotaph. The memorial garden has long been anticipated and it’s construction was made possible through a grant from Wigan Council's Brighter Borough funding and donations from local councillors. 

Our works included the construction of a resin bonded footpath, construction of a raised stone planter wall with sandstone crests inlaid in the walling and installation of new fencing and planting. 

The works were completed in time for the Remembrance Sunday service that was held in the garden.   Further information can be found by clicking here.

Chatterley Valley Sculpture officially unveiled

The 21 metre high “Golden” sculpture was officially switched on at a celebration on Friday 4th November which was attended by hundreds of local residents. Horticon were engaged to carry out the landscaping works at the former colliery site and our works involved the construction of footpaths, installation of street furniture and casting the base for the impressive piece of artwork called “Golden.” The sculpture was designed by award-winning artist Wolfgang Buttress and features 1,500 glass balls, each containing a short message or wish. The sculpture commemorates the Potteries heritage and the designers say the LEDs at night coupled with the sunlight reflecting prisms will create a permanent glow in a nod to the ironworks where the sculpture now sits.

Councillor Terry Follows, cabinet member for a greener city, said: "The installation of Golden has been a community-led project, with people living and working nearby keen to make the area surrounding it more usable and accessible. The landscaping has included installing paths, planting trees and grassy areas, developing a wildflower patch and providing lighting to the sculpture. The site has been transformed into a place where people of all ages can come and relax, and enjoy the stunning views for miles around. Golden is an iconic piece of artwork and it's great that an artist of such calibre has chosen the city to display his work.”

For further details of the opening event please click here.

Roe Green Cycleway

Client: Salford City Council
Architect: Urban Vision Partnership Ltd
Value: £375,000

Description:
This project involved the construction of a 1.2km long 3 metre wide shared pedestrian and cyclist footpath on a former railway loopline within a cutting. Timber edgings were installed and bitmac surfacing laid. Tar and chip surfacing completed the cycleway. Associated works included the construction of timber steps, access paths, fencing, motorcycle barriers, signage, soil and seeding.

Bridgewater Canal HLF Project

Client: Salford City Council
Architect: Urban Vision Partnership Ltd
Value: £1.2 million
 

About this project
This £1.2 million Heritage Lottery Funded project has been undertaken to upgrade and widen the Bridgewater Canal towpath to create a shared pedestrian and cycle path. The project was undertaken on 6 sites including Barton Road, Barton Aqueduct, Boothstown Canal Towpath, Dukes Drive Country Park, Hall Bank Road and Worsley Green. 

The project comprised the construction of over 2km of bitmac footpath finished in tar and chip surfacing, the installation of a knee rail at Worsley Green, the refurbishment of Barton Aqueduct Park and the construction of an overflow car park at Dukes Drive Country Park. Works included site clearance, excavations, drainage, installation of street lighting columns, bitmac surfacing, tar and chip surfacing, construction of a timber boardwalk, installation of fencing and street furniture and tree and shrub planting.

Churchfield Play Area Official Opening

The recently completed Churchfield Play Area was officially opened by Frodsham Mayor Fran Sutton on 19th September. Horticon undertook the works to improve the existing play area which has been a hit with local residents. 

Mayor Sutton said: “This is a fantastic new play area for the children of Frodsham to have fun at with their friends and families. The equipment is designed to last for more than 20 years, so those playing here now could one day bring their own children. There has been so much planning into this play area, but now it’s all about children having fun and enjoying the equipment.”

For further information click here http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/local-news/100000-upgrade-frodsham-playground-unveiled-10107888