BROMLEY AND THE RSPB
GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL
Building on a partnership that started in 2008, idverde was further contracted in 2015 to deliver a holistic service for the full management of parks, greenspace and countryside on behalf of the London Borough of Bromley. idverde was entrusted to take over the client function, including the management of many sites of wildlife importance and directly managing relationships with 45 Friends groups and 60 self-managed allotments and self-managed sports clubs. For the next eight years, idverde remains responsible for delivering a fullymanaged service across London’s greenest Borough, including authoring and delivering its parks, greenspace and countryside strategy. In addition to 100+ maintenance and landscaping staff, they employ three environmental education professionals, five community managers and five ecologists. This service demands innovation, in particular to be able to safeguard biodiversity in Bromley, despite a challenging economic climate. One such innovation was launching a partnership in 2017 with the RSPB, the largest nature conservation charity in the UK. This sees a dedicated member of the RSPB based in Bromley working with idverde to help deliver the council’s parks, greenspace and countryside strategy. The work underlines the commitment from idverde to maintain, enhance and restore Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) and other green spaces for wildlife. At Bromley, the RSPB biodiversity advisor provides technical support to the wider idverde team in managing all sites for biodiversity; not just SSSIs and LNRs, but also amenity spaces, allotments and urban sites, while supporting engagement and environmental education activities.
idverde recently completed this project with Gloucester Cathedral to deliver the soft and hard landscaping elements of an external landscaping scheme, designed by New Leaf Studios. Part of the prestigious Cathedral’s 10-year plan, entitled ‘Project Pilgrim’, the landscaping package transformed the external landscape surrounding the cathedral, turning the car park into a grassed and paved public area. Project Pilgrim is the culmination of years of planning by the Cathedral to carry out a once-in-a-lifetime regeneration project to improve and restore parts of the 11th-century building. The landscaping element required clearance and demolition of the existing car parks, vegetation and street furniture before excavations could begin for the new landscape. The landscaping solution included the installation of a new car park, construction of a raised terrace, new lighting and soft landscaping. The works have been subject throughout to a full-time archaeological watching brief to ensure that no stone was left unturned when it came to preserving items of religious, historical or human importance. Hundreds of items requiring documentation and investigation were discovered. During the build, the Cathedral remained open at all times with designated ‘quiet times’ in effect for religious services. Upon culmination of the project in 2018, idverde was delighted to receive a BALI National Award in recognition of the high standards of workmanship delivered on this challenging regeneration project.
10 idverde / 100 th Anniversary Supplement
Current Projects.indd 10
©Steven Lofting
©Steven Lofting
CURRENT PROJECTS
www.idverde.co.uk
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