Green-tech aids increase in biodiversity and water management of new homes project

Project: Meadowlands/Masterton Farm

Location: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland

Landscape Contractor: Advance Construction (Scotland)

Products/Services Supplied: Treeparker®, Mona Irrigation Rings, Tree Anchors, Cast-Iron Grilles & Guards

As Scotland’s eighth newest city (2022), Dunfermline was the birthplace of King Charles 1 and once served as the ancient capital of Scotland. Over recent years the city has become more popular with house prices increasing and investment in new residential developments. As part of the Dunfermline Eastern Expansion, Taylor Wimpey have built around a hundred homes, a mix of 3, 4, and 5-bedroom houses, as well as affordable housing units, situated around Macpherson and MacCallum Avenues.

Although Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is not mandatory in Scotland just yet, the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), focuses on ‘significant biodiversity enhancements’ for major developments. And any urban greening, particularly street trees, plays a vital role.

Although new developments have modern storm drains and sewers, unlike the old, woefully inadequate Victorian-era systems in the city centres, it is still important to attenuate rainwater, and subsequent runoff, diverting it from gushing straight down the drains. Trees are highly efficient at doing this, both through their root network, and leaf canopy. Add to this their ability to store carbon, capture airborne particulates, and provide habitat for birds and insects, and the value of trees to our neighbourhoods cannot be denied.

Green-tech involvement:

Advance Construction (Scotland) have been offering groundworks and civil engineering expertise throughout Scotland for over twenty-five years. They have worked with Green-tech for over ten of those years across various projects. ACS approached Green-tech to price up twenty-one tree pits throughout the new Taylor-Wimpey development, using the TreeParker® tree pit support system.

Having been used in mainland Europe for the past twelve years or more, on high profile projects such as the pavements around the Eiffel Tower, and Rotterdam’s main boulevard, Coolsingle, TreeParker® works by supporting the paving above a tree pit, whether used for pedestrian or vehicular traffic. In doing this, it protects the soil within the tree pit from becoming compacted. This enables the landscaper to use a soft, friable, organic topsoil for the tree to grow in, rather than having to make do with a less organic, structural tree sand.

Unlike similar systems, it has several distinct advantages. The heavy-duty, reinforced legs are available in six height options from the factory: 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, and 1500mm. This gives a previously unheard-of adaptability with depth options. From a contractor’s point of view, it means there is never any need to stack two units to achieve a depth over 600mm, saving installation time and money.

The other major advantage is that there are no side walls to get in the way of utilities, new or existing. By having smooth, rounded legs rather than side walls, the units can easily straddle, or work around service pipes and lines. There was a mix of tree pits across the site, mostly single trees, but also three double tree pits in the central section of MacCallum Avenue. To finish off the installations, Green-tech supplied cast-iron Newdale tree grilles, along with Wharfdale tree guards, to protect the trees from any vehicular contact. Grilles are an ideal way to not only give a very smart, long-lasting finish to a tree pit, they also allow air and water access into the rooting area.

In total, twenty-one TreeParker® tree pits were installed, each having Mona Relief irrigation rings and cast aluminium filler caps, as well as under ground anchor systems. With it being vital to the health of any tree or planting scheme, Green-tech delivered a total of 260 tonnes of Green-tree British Standard subsoil and Geocell topsoil to site over a staggered period as required.

"We have always found Green-tech to provide excellent service – they deliver what they say, when they say they will. We found the TreeParker® system to be surprisingly quick and simple to install, and we look forward to working with it again."

Stuart McNeill, Managing Quantity Surveyor

Advance Construction (Scotland)