Urban Forest Tree Planting Project

Overview

As part of Liverpool City Council’s Urban Forest Strategy, Liverpool City Council was looking for a specialist partner to prepare, plant and maintain advanced trees to increase the tree canopy throughout the City Center providing shade and shelter from the heat.

Situation

Since June 2020 Liverpool City Council has been working towards developing its public spaces to improve accessibility and amenity, including more street trees and vegetation, with a particular focus on mitigating the urban heat island effect.

Project

The Summit Services team took care to plan out the preparation, installation and maintenance phases in detail to ensure the tree planting project could be delivered in alignment with the overall vision for Liverpool City Council’s Urban Forest strategy.

The installation scope included:

• Survey set out and preparation of planter box locations
• Traffic and pedestrian management 
• Supply and installation of planter boxes 
• Supply and potting of 200L advance trees including garden pot mix and fertiliser materials to ensure newly established green spaces would thrive. 
• Installation of subsoil drainage pipelines inside planter boxes 
• Delivery of regular watering and maintenance  care services including application of liquid fertiliser, additional proteins, vitamins and trace elements. 

Long term monitoring and maintenance schedules were worked into the overall project plan, with a commitment to detailed completion reporting. This protects against any adverse conditions the newly planted trees may experience in high traffic locations such as damage or vandalism to trees and pots, as well as disease and water management.

Outcomes

From the outset, the Summit Services team prioritised effective communication, with the Liverpool City Council team, residents and visitors alike. By keeping all stakeholders well informed, the safety of the public and team members could be secured. By providing detailed real-time reporting, Liverpool City Council received an ongoing picture of progress as the canopy establishes, identifying any potential concerns early, and creating the best opportunity for each tree to thrive.    The installation project was successfully realised, on time and within budget. Its success adds value to the City and its residents, not only by creating more green space for residents, but by adding to Liverpool City Council’s concerted efforts to reduce temperatures in CBD areas.