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EDITOR'S BLOG

A WORRYING TIME FOR PARKS
Demise of traditional working practices
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

Are public grassed areas not being cut due to saturated ground conditions or is it because councils are having to find further savings due to the severe cuts in their annual budgets?

Driving around my local borough recently, it’s clearly noticeable that a lot of grassed areas have not been cut.

This raises the question in my mind - is this because ground conditions are saturated or is it because councils are having to find further savings due to the severe cuts in their annual budgets?

There has been plenty of reporting in the news regarding local authorities saying they are facing bankruptcy in the coming months and have asked the Government to provide them more cash or they may risk going bankrupt.

Also a new survey on the state of local authority parks and greenspace services conducted by APSE has found 74% are expecting budget cuts of over 5% in the coming five years, with 40% expecting cuts of over 10%.

The survey, conducted annually by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and now in its fourteenth year, found that 78% of those surveyed said budget cuts have led to reduced maintenance and an increase in unmaintained land.

For me, as an ex-parks manager, it is a worrying time for these dedicated parks professionals who themselves are seeing the demise of the traditional working practices in parks and public open spaces.

Most parks departments have in the last twenty years been devolving a lot of their assets to make savings. Many sports facilities (bowls, cricket, football, tennis ) have been closed or given to the clubs to maintain. Countless greenhouses have been demolished and a lot of local authorities have also stopped planting spring and summer bedding schemes. This is combined with the reduction in mowing regimes and end of season renovations.

We are seeing many local authorities using the term rewilding, aptly, for the practice of not mowing grass areas that were once cut on a regular basis. I don't have a problem with this as long as it suits the environment and location and it is not used as an excuse for lack of maintenance.

When I started as a parks apprentice doing a five year City & Guilds course in 1972, most local authorities had greenhouses, grew their bedding plants and had a plethora of sports facilities to maintain with dedicated greenkeepers and gardeners in every park.

I believe the demise of parks and public open spaces started when the Compulsive Competitive Tendering act came into force in the 1980s. Between 1980 and 2000, local authorities in the UK were required by the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, and later by the Local Government Acts of 1988 and 1992 to demonstrate competitiveness in procurement through a statutory Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT) procedure regulated by the Secretary of State.

It effectively changed the way we had to manage our parks. The net result was we saw the demise of parks departments that often were consolidated into larger organisations such as street cleaning and highways departments and over time many parks’ managers lost their voices. Subsequently, over the years, the standards of parks management changed dramatically.

Often change is inevitable of course, and the formation of the National Lottery in 1994 paved the way for the opportunity for funding to repair the damage done by CCT.

Since 1996, over £900m of National Lottery funding has been awarded to more than 900 UK public parks for capital works and public engagement activities. It certainly been a lifeline and has helped many local authorities to keep their main parks open.

However, for me, the issue is getting Government to make parks a statutory service, thus allowing appropriate maintenance funding to be assigned, ensuring the future of these parks.

As a member of the Parks Management Association, chaired by the brilliant Paul Rabbits, we have for several years tried to influence the Government’s opinion of value of parks. Alas, we are still trying. It is so difficult to find support for our concerns.

I firmly believe the value of any principal park and public open space, especially in a city, is priceless. We must continue to find the budgets to maintain these valuable assets.

They are also effectively the potential training grounds for the next generation of gardeners and grounds practitioners. It is essential the budgets are available to maintain these public parks for future generations.

NEWS

FIRST HYBRID CRICKET SURFACE INSTALLED IN INDIA
Following use across English grounds

In our first WEB ONLY story, we report on the first in what is expected to be a series of major projects across India in 2024 and beyond for company who have installed at grounds around England.

ANOTHER DEALERSHIP PERMANENTLY CLOSED
Post-pandemic pressures cited

Another dealership has permanently closed

In our next WEB ONLY story, TurfPro has heard from the owner who tells us post-pandemic lack of footfall and increased costs have contributed to the closure.

UPGRADE FOR GREENKEEPERS
Improvements to staff facilities

The greenkeeping team outside their new compound

Club has upgraded its greenkeepers' compound, incorporating state-of-the-art locker rooms, ahead of a major competition this summer.

Royal Troon Golf Club has upgraded its greenkeepers compound, incorporating what they describe as state-of-the-art locker rooms, ahead of this summer’s 152nd Open.

Royal Troon's greenkeeping team outside their new compound

The 145-year-old club, based in South Ayrshire, Scotland, has made a large investment in a new welfare block, which includes offices, a staff room, a kitchen, wet and dry changing facilities, showers and toilets.

The changing rooms feature 28 modern lockers and benches to cater for the dedicated team responsible for maintaining the club's pristine courses.

The investment aims to support the 20 greenkeeping staff preparing to host the Championship in July.

Locit, the manufacturer of the Pure Lockers brand, partnered with distributor Nationwide Lockers to deliver the slate grey steel lockers to the specifications of contractor Fleming Build.

Stephen Anthony, Club Secretary at Royal Troon Golf Club, said, "The club is delighted with the new facilities, including the lockers, for our 20 greenkeepers.

“The move to personal lockers provides a secure space for our team’s belongings.

“The club is committed to the well-being of every employee and this upgrade speaks volumes about the value the club places on our dedicated team of greenkeepers and their integral role in maintaining our course's international standards.”

John Burns, Project lead and Site Manager for Fleming Build, based in Glasgow, said: “The recent enhancement to the greenkeepers' compound underscores Royal Troon's commitment to providing top-notch facilities for its dedicated employees."

PUTTING GREEN RESCUED
Back in play once again

New golf course manager, Richie Stephens, was tasked with the completion of the putting surface which had been out of action for close to two years.

When previous attempts to get a practice putting green back into play at Vicars Cross Golf Club in Cheshire had failed, new golf course manager Richie Stephens, was tasked with finding a solution.

Richie exlplains that a few months from seeding with the J All Bent mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed, and with some favourable assistance from mother nature, the USGA spec green was in business - with the programme then implemented on the construction of a new chipping green that enjoyed similar success.

Upon joining Vicars Cross just over 12 months ago, Richie was faced with a putting surface which had been out of action for close to two years. Keen to unlock the solution, he spoke to DLF’s Stuart Yarwood. Richie said, “I’ve known Stuart for years and his greenkeeping background means he gives not only technical advice, but the right advice for our situation as he understands the challenge having been in our shoes. We opted to overseed with a 100% bent mix in the form of Johnsons J All Bent.”

He continued, “We got it in the ground in May, we were fortunate with the weather and it came through really well. In August we then built a chipping green which overran the original schedule and meant we didn’t get seed until mid-November. Despite this, we still saw fantastic strike before Christmas, even coverage and strong visual impact. The speeds we’re achieving on the putting green is now comparable to what we’re achieving on our regular greens.”

The other 18 greens are overseeded annually during summer renovations with J All Bent, a programme introduced by Richie to try and promote an increase in the bent populations across the site. Elsewhere, it’s PM45 Tee and Fairway Plus from the producer's Masterline range. “We use this on areas off the greens which has proven very successful.

“The club, the players and my team have all noticed how far the surfaces have come on since we introduced the DLF mixtures and we’re definitely coming out of winter in a stronger, better position than we have before.”

DEALER NETWORK EXPANSION
Moves into groundcare sector

Dealership, which recently bought a local groundcare and machinery business, is committed to meeting the growing demand for machinery across multiple sectors.

Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) is continuing to grow its Can-Am off-road dealer network in the UK with the appointment of Thorncliffe, a Rhyl-based family-run business.

Callum Jones, site manager

The addition of the brand to the dealer’s portfolio means it is expanding its workforce with the addition of two new sales staff and one technician with more employees scheduled to join in 2024.

Thorncliffe, who recently bought a local groundcare and machinery business, say they are committed to meeting the growing demand for utility ATVs and SSVs across multiple sectors ranging from agriculture to ground care.

Rachael Turner, BRP commercial manager UK & Ireland, says, “Wales is a growing market for Can-Am ATVs and SSVs and the addition of Callum and his team will assist our expansion within the region."

Callum Jones, site manager, Thorncliffe, added, “We recently acquired a local groundcare and machinery business so we started looking for an SSV that would be suitable for use in the groundcare sector. Through word of mouth, we came across Can-Am. From there, we looked further into its offering and there were two distinct factors that made Can-Am stand out from the crowd. The first is the high-quality vehicles it produces and the second is the breadth of the line-up, which gave us the confidence to know that we could provide customers with an ATV or SSV to meet their needs and requirements. We are excited about what the future holds with Can-Am.”

Sponsored Content

STIHL LAUNCHES NEW BATTERY-POWERED BRUSHCUTTERS
FSA 120 and FSA 120 R

STIHL has launched two new AP System battery-powered brushcutters with enhanced operational performance, specifically designed for professionals to tackle large areas of tough grass.

Replacing the FSA 90 model, the new FSA 120 and FSA 120 R boast an impressive 40% increase in power, making them the ideal choice for professionals undertaking landscaping projects. The FSA 120 is available with a bike handle or loop handle (R) to best suit customer requirements.

Thanks to the utilisation of the same gearbox used in STIHL petrol tools, the new brushcutters are compatible with a wide range of cutting attachments, including AutoCut, PolyCut, DuroCut and TrimCut cutting heads, as well as metal grass blades for greater versatility and longer working times.

The FSA 120 offers flexibility with two-speed settings and a variable trigger, enabling users to adapt to different cutting requirements with ease. Not only do both brushcutter models feature an innovative ECO mode that reduces RPM to maximise working time, but they also automatically adapt their speed (in level 2) for optimum performance. With line head RPM at 7,800 and metal blade RPM at 9,700, professional users can trust in consistent and efficient results.

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The STIHL FSA 120 and FSA 120 R are ideal for use with the FS PROTECT protective trousers, specifically designed for brushcutting tasks. These hard-wearing safety trousers help to secure safer working conditions, promoting safety through their breathable impact protective inserts, along with providing comfort with ventilation openings and braces loops situated at the back.

For more information on the FSA 120 and FSA 120 R and STIHL’s wide range of professional battery tools, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

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