COVENTRY
PORTFOLIO 2010
LOCAL ROOTS
CONTENTS PORTFOLIO 2010
04. Welcome & Introduction 05. Section A A1 Impact A2 Horticultural Practice A3 Residential and Community Gardening A4 Business Areas and Premises A5 Green Spaces
15. Section B B1 Conservation and Biodiversity B2 Resource Management B3 Local Heritage B4 Local Environmental Quality B5 Pride of Place
25. Section C C1 Development & Continuity C2 Communication & Education C3 Community Involvement C4 Year-Round Involvement C5 Funding & Support
Pink Poppy in Greyfriars Green
WELCOME
Heart of England In Bloom 2010 Tour Date July 21st 2010 2010 sees City Centre Management Company CV One ltd joining together with Landscape Contractors English Landscapes, Coventry University, Jaguar and Land Rover and Housing Association Whitefriars Housing Group to enter Coventry in the Large City Category. This year sees the city join together in celebration as communities and residents from across Coventry pull together and create a tangible sense of local pride. I would like to commend each and every person who has been involved with this project over the past 12 months with a special mention to CV One, English Landscapes, Coventry University, Jaguar and Land Rover and Whitefriars Housing Group as well as the wealth of smaller organisations who have all dedicated so much time and effort into the campaign
this year. They have all worked together with the sole shared aim of creating and maintaining a year round city in bloom. The citizens of Coventry have an immense amount of local pride and this is evident in the amount of support we have received for this campaign. We have had an overwhelming response from individuals and groups who have all pulled together to create a clean, green and attractive city in which to live work and visit.
Section A Horticultural Achievement A1 Impact A2 Horticultural Practice A3 Residential and Community gardening A4 Business Areas and Premises A5 Green SpaceS
It is an absolute pleasure to write the introduction for such a great cause. It is also a chance for me personally to say thank you for all the dedication and commitment shown since January to craft roundabout flowerbeds, commercial premises and residential areas around Coventry with such skill and pride.
Andy Talbot Chair of the Business Improvement District
INTRODUCTION The theme this year for the Heart of England In Bloom campaign is Local Roots. This will showcase the city’s strong sense of community pride and involvement as well as highlighting the achievements and heritage of the city. Coventry has nurtured an impressive variety of floral displays across the city which include vibrant beds, structures, prominent landscaping, quality local environmental initiatives, community projects and a dedicated focus in showcasing the continual efforts of working together to make the city a greener and cleaner place to live, work and visit.
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WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
SECTION A I HORTICULTURAL ACHIEVEMENT
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A1 Impact The colourful flower beds and open spaces are a vital part of city life in Coventry. They provide a perfect place to relax and leave a lasting impression to both the residents of the city and its many visitors. Using carefully selected and diverse displays which utilise multicultural planting and innovative designs to bring areas to life in urban, rural, residential, corporate and community environments. The theme of Local Roots celebrates the unison and partnership between campaign organisers and the diverse communities of Coventry as they all join together in sustaining and improving their local environment through a number of imaginative initiatives and schemes.
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A1 I IMPACT
The eye catching flower beds are tended to throughout the year to ensure maximum annual coverage. The beds are seasonally rotated using a mixture of herbaceous plants, interplanted with bulbs, formal bedding polyanthus, bellis, pansies, begonia, marigold, geraniums, rudbeckia, petunia, alchemilla mollis, salvia nemerosa, campanula rubriflora, aster blaubox, mixed armeria joystick, veronica spicata and zinnia. The soil is treated with fertiliser and locally recycled compost between planting.
Coventry encompasses a variety of both new and recently planted areas each of which has its own purpose varying from adding colour and character to an area such as the heather in Broadgate which is a heavily pedestrianised section of the city centre, to sustainable planting which provides depth and height in a low grassed area. Areas which are home to bark effect planting include a host of business parks and industrial open spaces which also benefit from the bright stems of the Cornus for winter colour.
The city has two impressive themed beds, this year the Trinity Bed has become part of the centenary celebrations for the Coventry Girl Guides and the bed in Greyfriars Green has been transformed with an eye catching design of the Cofa Tree which is where our city takes its name. Both these beds use regular summer bedding plants to create high impact images using vibrant colours complete with a relevant design to tie in with the theme of the campaign. These beds create excellent focal points for the city’s involvement for Bloom.
A1 I IMPACT
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Two new herbaceous beds at Greyfriars Green and outside the Lounge bar in the city centre were planted last year, both have Echinacea, Poppies and Hyssop planted within them.
Over the last two years the old shrub areas have been replenished with new herbaceous planting in Greyfriars Green and Lady Herbert’s Gardens pond area, with a variety of herbaceous plants and grasses. Major arterial roads into the city, including Warwick Row, Holyhead Road and Sky Blue Way have also benefitted from colourful and eye-catching road barriers filled with petunias, pansies and trailing ivy.
The beds and planting structures on the University campus illuminates the area and fills the air with the pleasant fragrance of honeysuckle and begonia, with cordylines adding height and shape to the seasonal beds.
A2 Horticultural Practice The key beds with colourful designs are both planted using traditional methods as opposed to plug carpet bed planting which is less sustainable and not as cost effective in terms of both the initial outlay of the plants and the intensive watering regime. Watering and dead heading is carried out as required on a daily basis throughout the growing period. The plants themselves are grown locally at Baginton Nurseries and come with peat free compost and a slow release fertilizer within the planting pot.
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A1 I IMPACT ACHIEVEMENT
The plants are regularly monitored and checked for signs of disease, pests or deficiencies throughout the year and any potential issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently. The soil type is taken into consideration before the plants are introduced to the bedding areas.
Permanent planting areas that have been developed in areas including: Belgrade Plaza, Millennium pocket park and Broadgate. Greyfriars Green has also benefitted from the development of new herbaceous beds.
Sustainability is a key part in the city’s bloom campaign with a mix of hardy and seasonal plants appearing in the city throughout the year to ensure year round coverage. The spring bedding which makes way for the summer bulbs is distributed to the local community as part of the annual plant giveaway which is a highly popular event and a great way of engaging with the public and highlighting the Bloom campaign.
A2 I HORTICULTURAL PRACTICE
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Coombe Abbey Hotel’s grounds are also an inviting and attractive showcase of dazzling petunias, begonias and marigolds set against the backdrop of the spectacular manor house. With pruned shrubs and carefully mowed lawns, a constructed maze of hedgerows and a surrounding pool, Coombe offers both a relaxing and tranquil secluded spot for any visitor.
There is also a huge focus on new tree planting initiatives throughout the Coombe woodland walks. In spring their stunningly beautiful bluebell wood comes to life, set amongst the first signs of early blossoming trees and newly planted beech and silver birch.
A3 Residential and Community gardening The city of Coventry is blessed with a strong sense of community pride, local residents are keen to get involved with the campaign through different participation schemes such as group gardening in community spaces, parks and open space development initiatives, residents associations and community groups. Local residents from Vicroft Court and Starley Road underwent a community clear up where their gardening group headed up a 2 day spring clean of the shared space outside the housing association. Many local schools have also been heavily involved with the campaign, Whoberley Hall School have also worked alongside CV One and English Landscapes to nurture and grow their own vegetable plots. The local Girl Guides also celebrated their centenary this year by helping to design and plant the Trinity bed with their iconic trefoil design. The elderly residents in Lady Herbert’s Cottages, with the help of English Landscapes, received and abundance of plants, vegetables and herbs for their gardens to brighten up their residence as well as embracing the
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A2 I HORTICULTURAL PRACTICE
increasingly popular trend of growing your own fruit and veg. Eventide Homes have a beautiful, landscaped garden square which the residents help maintain and are rightly proud of. The residents of Starley Road have also pulled together to create some stunning hanging baskets along their street. The residents in this street have an exceptionally strong sense of community spirit after campaigning to save the last terraced inner city street in Coventry from demolition in the 70s. The residents formed the city’s first housing cooperative. The group is still very active today, attracting funds to pay for the renovation and conversion programme which includes brightening the area with plants and flowers. Coventry Carers Association has an allotment in Coventry, when the plot was initially taken over by the carers centre it was overgrown and the soil was in need of some nourishment. With the hard work of gardeners employed through Groundworks, a government funded scheme to get 18-24 year olds back into employment, the site has changed dramatically. Huge areas have been strimmed, rotivated and raised beds have been put in place for growing fruit and vegetables to sell to the carers who access support from the Carers Centre. The Allotment Project perfectly showcases
how gardening can bring communities together and transform the lives of people struggling to care for a family member or friend. The Carers Centre are delighted that Allesley Old Road has been included in the judges route around the city and that their Tile Hill site will be part of the portfolio of other projects around Coventry. The allotment project is in its third year now and aims to give carers a break from their role so that they can learn new skills in a friendly environment amongst people who understand their situation. The Coventry branch of Age Concern has created Growing Concern, a community based allotment and garden for the older generation. Growing Concern offers a sociable setting for older people interested in gardening, growing produce or simply spending time in a pleasant outdoor setting amongst friends. It is open every Tuesday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Part of the site is wheelchair accessible with high level beds. There is year round activity to keep the plot in top condition with the potential for bumper crops during the season. The scheme also partners up with CPU probation service which helps to rehabilitate offenders by tasking them with more manual jobs such as grounds maintenance, the construction of sheds and poly tunnels.
A3 I RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY
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A4 Business Areas and Premises Local industrial estates and business parks within the city offer shining examples of regeneration and high quality grounds maintenance. Westwood Business Park provides a pleasant and enjoyable working environment of 65 acres of well manicured grounds for around 50 businesses. The park utilises sustainable planting alongside contemporary and attractive landscaping with various shrubs and perennials providing year round colour alongside stunning key focal points such as water features, ponds and rockeries. Walsgrave Triangle is home to a variety of offices and warehouses, Barclays Bank boasts a lake ground in the centre of its premises which is surrounded by woodland, offering a haven to both workers and wildlife. Coventry Registry Office in the heart of the city encourages bees and butterflies to its ornamental flower bed by planting nectar rich plants such as Buddleia and lavender which are rich in nectar. The pretty bog garden is unique to the city and not only provides a stunning backdrop to wedding photographs but acts as a miniature nature reserve, the
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A4 I BUSINESS AREAS AND PREMISES
jewel in the crown in the bog garden is the Darmera peltata which provides interesting leaves and pretty pink blooms when in flower before taking on stunning fiery hues in autumn. Coventry Train Station is, for many, the gateway to the city. The stunning welcome bed creates a lasting and positive display to commuters and visitors to the city and is carefully maintained throughout the year. The UK’s first city centre based IKEA has embraced its new location in the heart of Coventry and is making efforts to brighten the immediate surroundings with well maintained border planting, herbaceous plants and shrubs as well as grass verges. Other key arrival points in Coventry are, Belgrade Plaza Car Park, a contemporary and decadent parking facility complete with high levels of maintenance and pretty planter beds to brighten up the unit. Work has also been undertaken in Gosford Street Car Park through the development and nurturing of one of its prime beds, and Coventry University’s brand new building offers a hard landscaped perspective of freshly mown lawns, steel furnishings and sign posts for ease of navigation.
All planters and beds within the city centre complement the overall theme and colour scheme of the campaign, and complement the local roots design for this year’s entry. The local pubs and restaurants have also embraced this year’s Bloom campaign with many of the public houses making an extra effort with their beer gardens and frontages. The Squirrel has both a well maintained decked area outside the front of the pub and large enclosed beer garden to the rear with planter beds filled with Cordyline australis and other tropical themed foliage. The hanging baskets also complement the existing coverage and provide a relaxed atmosphere in the heart of the city centre. The Kasbah is famed for its gorgeous Moroccan themed garden, providing the perfect break out area from the nightclub it is filled with exotic flora including palms and vines. Whitefriars Old Ale house is a fantastic traditional pub homed in two of Coventry’s oldest townhouses, the large beer garden offers plenty of character with many old and antique bits of machinery now being used as planters. The award winning Turmeric Gold on Medieval Spon Street consistently displays floral providing all year round colour.
A5 Green Spaces The War Memorial Park is Coventry’s premier park and attracts visitors from all over the city. Many come to enjoy a casual visit, while others come to take part in some of the many special events that take place throughout the year. Approximately 48.5 hectares in size, the park consists of two distinct areas, the formal garden with the War Memorial and the sports facilities areas with playing fields, golf course, Splash ‘n’ Play Park and play areas. There is also a 1.6 mile circular footpath around the park.
Coombe Abbey Country Park is close to the heart of many Coventrians, the beautiful grounds were designed and landscaped by the highly acclaimed Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The grounds have a number of attractions including the Heronry and Protected Woodland SSSI (Site of Specific Scientific Interest) which is a hive of activity for bird and insect life. With a huge playing field surrounded by masses of fir, conifer, oak, beech and redwood trees plus a hard wood children’s play area and several open space clearings perfect for picnics, it creates that perfect atmosphere all year round.
A5 I GREEN SPACES
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Section B ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY B1 Conservation and Biodiversity B2 Resource Management B3 Local Heritage B4 Local Environmental Quality B5 Pride of Place
As well as Coombe and War Memorial Park, Coventry also has Longford Park, Lady Herbert’s Garden and Top Green offering plenty of space for walks and relaxing, as well as continual plans to plant new trees along the roadside on Brownshill Green Lane. Along many of Coventry’s highways are well maintained, regularly cut grass verges and neat, clipped and shaped hedgerows, attracting neighbouring garden birds and insects to thrive.
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A5 I GREEN SPACES
SECTION B I ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
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B1 Conservation and Biodiversity Coventry surrounds itself with natural beauty spots and wildlife havens, with some of the country’s most respected and well looked after grounds and parkland. The city is blessed with three nature reserves in Tile Hill, Allesley and Coombe. The nature reserves are protected areas of importance for wildlife, flora and fauna reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study, research and enjoyment. Coventry is also home to diverse wildlife areas and pocket parks that provide a safe and natural habitat for various animal species and plants, creating an evergreen world of
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B1 I CONSERVATION AND BIODIVERSITY
colour and growth, abundant with fresh healthy shrubs, trees and lawns. Coombe Country Park is also home to the UK’s largest heronry nest sites and wild bird sanctuaries, as well as rare and unusual wildfowl and water species.
With such a diverse and conserving attitude to the areas planting scheme, with Willows, Ash, Oak, Lime and deciduous trees lining the banks of the river, a custom made bird hive nestled between the bulrush reeds and tall grasses, wooden play areas and an education centre, Coombe offers a delightful outdoor experience for all ages. Sir Henry Parkes Nature Reserve also offers a delightful, energetic walk on its newly laid pathway, after a substantial clearing of bramble and weed. Binley Road Coventry offers a copsewood pool, with a circling pathway surrounded by wild daisy, ferns, bluebells, gentle silver birches and swooping sycamores.
Allesley Nature Reserve provides a fresh, riverside walk with signage in abundance for the intrepid explorer. With year round bloom and clean, clear waterways, important species call this favoured spot home in the banks and within the overhanging Willows, Ash and Beech trees. Swanswell Pool and Lady Herbert’s Garden offer pleasant walks within the city centre, whilst surrounding countryside spoils details rich, colourful fields and meadows.
B1 I CONSERVATION AND BIODIVERSITY
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B2 Resource Management One of the most important areas of the Bloom initiative in Coventry is the education and implementation of recycling and energy saving campaigns. Minimising the demand placed on natural resources plays a big part in the way CV One, English Landscapes and Coventry Council recycle and reuse the waste from businesses and residents alike. Mulch recycling is the process that is used to turn the refuse and garden/green waste into compost for the flower beds around the city centre. CV One also operated a full clean up operation in the city in April of this year in clearing Whitefriars Lane from Japanese knotweed and old bits of wood, plastic carriers and disused dustbins. These were all removed and recycled, along with the overgrown weeds and brambles that intertwined between it.
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B2 I RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
English Landscapes ensures that on all planting and soiling harmless chemicals and sprays are used on the environment, reducing the impact of potential damage. Streets are kept clean and tidy all year round, and maintenance is carried out on all premises. Agriculturally speaking local firm Whitehalls Landscapes provides the city with recycled mulch to use as a protective cover over the soil which retains moisture, reduces erosion, suppresses weed growth and provides nutrients as it decays. The mulch is made up from green waste from the city centre including grass cuttings and bark chippings. The city centre recently welcomed the city council’s ‘Compost Week’ team into Broadgate, where residents and visitors could learn about how they too could be more green and efficient.
Coventry also embraces and encourages recycling throughout the city, chippings from local arborists are used as coverage in shrubbed areas. Green waste, including old baskets and bedding are transformed into organic compost for use in planters and on flower beds.
Moseley School in Coundon is leading the way for city schools having been nominated in the sustainability category of the Coventry Design Awards. The school has been rebuilt as an environmentally friendly building, complete with a ‘grass roof’ and a rainwater harvesting system. Moseley isn’t the only educational building to embrace sustainability, with Coventry University also introducing a ‘brown roof’ to the building.
Working alongside English Landscapes, CV One ensures that the nourishing and revitalised soil is ploughed back into the earth using Whitehalls landscape contractors and a green waste programme, after being compacted and filtered through at the site. CV One and English Landscapes also promote and deliver a city centre plant giveaway, for shoppers and passers by to actually take home the old seasonal beddings from around the town to plant in their own gardens for next spring.
The beds around the city use an effective irrigation system to reduce water wastage and the carbon footprint associated with plant watering, many of the operational vehicles used in the city centre are powered by electricity to cut down on emissions.
B2 I RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
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B3 Local Heritage Coventry is famous for its more traditional and local roots, through Lady Herbert’s Garden and site of International friendship, to landmark monuments such as Lady Godiva and the two Cathedrals. Through continual work and advancements on the management and development of these sites, CV One, English Landscapes and Coventry Council ensure that they are kept weed free, washed and painted all year round, making for a very pleasant experience for both the residents and visitors alike. Techniques such as stone chipping and masonry improving, stained glass cleaning, and monument jet washing all add to the city’s sparkling history of being a clean and tidy place to live and work.
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B3 I LOCAL HERITAGE
Bonds Hospital was endowed by one Thomas Bond - Mayor of Coventry in 1497 - in his will of 1506 as an almshouse for deserving old men. It provided for ten men for life, each was to be a member of the Holy Trinity Guild, and one woman to act as housekeeper. Fords Hospital, Blue Coat School and Lady Herbert’s Garden all operate as a symbol of Coventry’s proud history and each is surrounded by well tended grounds and lawns. Links to local history are all over the city, with signage and boards revealing Coventry’s hidden past through heritage site notices and attractions.
During the Heritage Open Days event in September, some of Coventry’s best kept secrets open its doors to the public in a spectacular showing of local history and heritage, such as Drapers Hall, The Herbert Undercroft and the Allesley Park Walled Garden, which attracts hundreds of people every year.
The Allesley Park Walled Garden Group is a voluntary group whose aim is to restore Allesley Park Walled Garden as an authentic 18th century kitchen garden which is part of our local heritage, and to use it as an educational resource for the people of Coventry. The group runs a range of activities including heritage gardening sessions, research into what would typically be found in a Georgian garden and eighteenth century recipes for fruit & vegetables; there is also a shop on the third Saturday of every month (through May to October) selling vegetables, honey, preserves and other homemade produce. The Cook St Gate in the city centre is situated at the very top of Lady Herbert’s Garden, standing tall next to the spectacular wonders of the spring cherry blossom trees.
Originally part of Coventry’s old historic wall, the Gate is one of a handful of entry points to the city, and is a great lasting reminder of the once medieval display. With freshly mowed lawns, tidy hedgerows and perennials, deciduous planting and stylish evergreen shrubs finishing off a perfect rockery that belongs to the ladies of the bungalows nearby, this peacefully quaint area is in stark contrast to the bustling city centre. In January 2010 the Priory Garden Lawn was identified as needing some lawn care and maintenance as the lawn was not flourishing due to compaction and heavy footfall. The vicinity was fenced off to restrict pedestrian access to enable the area to recover whilst the process of scarifying, hollow tyning, top dressing, reseeding and fertilising commenced.
Scarifying the lawn involves a bladed machine which removes any thatch and moss from the lawn area, hollow tyning is the process of aerating the soil by dropping probes into the sub surface. Top dressing consisted of a sand and compost mix. The old city wall has suffered from stones becoming dislodged mainly through erosion over time. Coventry was given royal consent from King Edward III in 1329 to build a wall which would surround the city. It was started in the mid 1300s from the monies collected from local taxes, and took a staggering 180 years to complete. The wall was all but demolished by King Charles II in 1662 leaving only the gates remaining.
B3 I LOCAL HERITAGE
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B4 Local Environmental Quality Although horticultural planting and conservation is extremely important to the Bloom campaign, so is the cleanliness and attractiveness of the sites, features and displays around the city. CV One and English Landscapes work around the clock all year round to ensure that fly posting, dog fouling, litter, over flowing bins, blocked drains, graffiti, dirty windows and chewing gum are removed with chemical free and sustainable substances, which are harmless to the environment and pedestrianised areas. With the latest technology, such as the Schmitt machine used to cleanse the pavements around the city centre, to road sweepers, jet washers, gum boards and larger bins, the streets of Coventry are
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B4 I LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
fully controlled and operated by state of the art CCTV and foot patrols. CV One and Coventry Council have also been working on initiatives to brighten up the empty retail spaces in the city centre, with artwork going up in the windows to freshen up the site. Belgrade Square displays original artwork which has been incorporated into the new Plaza street scene. This area showcases public art in the environment including abstract sculptures and a contemporary water feature. The eye-catching art is a complementary and tasteful addition to the new plaza development. Back in January CV One teamed up with the local media and the City Council to give away an empty shop, this was an exciting new initiative and the first of its kind in the country to revitalise a vacant retail space.
The competition is now in its final stages with 5 short listed applicants all vying for the chance to win their own business and marketing campaign, in addition to this local community groups and businesses have been exhibiting and displaying artwork in vacant premises. Children from the local Tiny Teddies Day Nursery have had their paintings on display in the old Adams clothing shop. Coventry Youth Offending Service has implemented a community litter picking programme in the city as part of their Restorative Justice scheme and the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme. This encompasses community payback and restorative work, which will benefit the community.
The City council have teamed up with CV One, English Landscapes and the private landlords to undertake an intensive cleanup operation in Hertford Street to remove the accumulated bird foul in the hard to reach areas under the canopy, the paving underwent a rigorous jetwash and all shop frontages were cleaned and painted to breathe new life into the street. Within their contract with the City Council, CV One is responsible for the maintenance of many statues within the City Centre. Cleansing of these monuments enhances the overall environment creating a safe and cared for feel.
Millennium View in Hales Street is a new pocket park developed by Coventry City Council to replace a vacant gap site. The area is still part of the Phoenix Initiative which means it can potentially be built on at any time. The City Council have renovated this formerly empty wasteland into a vibrant development which enhances the local area and provides much needed green space in this corner of the city. The park is proving highly popular with city centre workers as it is an ideal, tranquil picnic area.
B4 I LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
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Section c Community participation C1 development and continuity C2 communication and education C3 community involvement C4 year-round involvement C5 funding and support
B5 Pride of Place To complement the many themed beds, parklands, green belts, city streets and pathways, tourist sites and buildings; CV One, English Landscapes and Coventry Council ensure that there is always well maintained, sensible, well positioned and informative signage, street furniture and artistic devices such as statues, freshly laid pavement or sustainable development for the public to use. Examples of this are the new metal pole signs erected around the city centre, to sit alongside the more traditional signs from Medieval Coventry. As well as these we have roundabout signage, sponsored by the Bloom campaign and local business offering support, each decorated with a new theme or style. We have clean and well maintained fountains and landmarks, new steel benches and litter bins in Ironmonger Row, bus shelter poster sites, car park posters carrying the Bloom campaign message and train station welcome signs.
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B5 I PRIDE OF PLACE
We also make sure that there is adequate signage in and around important tourist locations, such as Coventry Cathedral and University Square, amongst the hard landscaping of the Herbert’s multi million pound transformation and the Olive trees and spiky cordylines around the University campus. There are billboards that we keep free from overhanging trees and weeds, new fences and panels being erected in Hales Street in the city centre, new turf being laid down to accommodate new build in this area as well, along with Cathedral Lanes Shopping centre, Priory Place and the Phoenix Quarter, all receiving a fresh, clean look through the purchase of new street furniture. There are also several planter boxes around the centre of Coventry, and surrounding the busy ringroad and islands at its junctions. Full of marigolds, petunias, pansies in winter and daffodils in spring, these boxes provide year round colour and vibrancy for the local businesses in the area. They are also used for sponsorship and signage, of which we have purchased several new poster sites in 2010. The
canal basin archway, brand new steel bridge over Junction 8 of the ringroad and Belgrade Plaza enhancements are all part of the continuing progression of Coventry’s goal of maintaining a well lit, clean and healthy environment for all. Ironmonger Square in the heart of the city is currently undergoing a multimillion pound transformation, the work on the public square started last October and is due for completion later this year. The city has welcomed a fingerpost signage scheme which is clear and modern whilst maintaining a historical feel. These signs are vital additions to the city centre as they give readily accessible and clear directions to the thousands of tourists who visit the city each year. Severn Trent has also completed work on its new headquarters between Junction 5 and 6 of the ringroad, creating new jobs and providing a clean and pleasant, picturesque city skyline with its white modern brick and glass windows.
SECTION C I COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
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C1 Development and Continuity One very important part of the Bloom campaign is the year round inclusion of all of the city’s communities, residents and schools. With a long term plan in place to dramatically raise the areas profiles and keep the city safe, clean and modern, CV One, English Landscapes, Whitefriars Housing and Coventry Council continually strive to enforce this message by providing important resources and aid to small pocket communities; improving the living conditions of those who depend on the sustainable, resourceful and impacting nature of their work.
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Two primary schools in Coventry, Whoberley Hall Primary and Sherbourne Fields Primary both received regular visits by CV One and English Landscapes to help construct animal hutches and bird boxes, garden gnomes and school ground planting to name just a few. Residents and community representatives have also taken part in waste recovery programmes, compactor waste initiatives, wild flower and seed planting with Snowdrops in Willenhall Wood, Caludon School litter picking, evidence of continual planting through the seasonal changes and cleaning up graffiti. One local community in Tile Hill, Jardine Crescent Coventry actually garnered the support of local youths to provide a mural of wall art through a
SECTION C1 I DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUITY
controlled and specialised mix of safeto-the environment products to brighten the area and stop further inappropriate action from vandalism and fly-posting. The play areas have been completed as part of a three year programme funded by the Council, Big Lottery and Playbuilder grant to increase and improve children and young people’s play opportunities across the city. 15 sites have been completed already in the first two years of the programme. These play areas are designed to provide exciting and challenging play opportunities that are part of the natural environment offered by the space.
The Friends of the War Memorial Park community group have recently spent time researching the many different species within the park and have created special tree friendly labels to help visitors identify and learn about the different trees. In addition to the labels, a specific information board detailing the locations of the namesake Memorial Trees is also close to completion. The group are also investigating ecological improvements to the ditch running through the golf course including clearance work and conservation measures. The park regularly holds planting events where a number of committee members and volunteers get together and introduce new species to the park, the most recent addition was Snowdrop bulbs.
SECTION C1 I DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUITY
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C2 Communication and Education The Bloom Committee have forged a strong relationship with the local media. The Coventry Telegraph has put their weight fully behind the campaign through a ‘Best Garden Competition’. The partnership involves a regular weekly page dedicated to the competition and also highlights recent developments within the community for Bloom. Coverage generated includes reports on the activities at Vicroft Court community clear up to officially launch the campaign where residents and the gardening club teamed together to clear the communal area outside the flats.
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Sherbourne Fields School including the work on their vegetable plots, the re-homing of gnomes from the city centre and work with children from more depraved areas to create garden furniture and hutches with their pupils. Sherbourne Fields are leading the way setting a shining example by working alongside other schools in creating pens, hutches and coops for their animals, planting and growing their own vegetables as well as creating an orchard, introducing a green house and rockery to their grounds. The school also ploughs a lot of time and energy into providing an enjoyable and educational experience in its onsite wildlife area, with bird boxes and hives situated all within its leafy compound. Whitefriars Housing Association held a Bell Green In Bloom Day where their residents were offered free plants to create their own mini gardens to brighten up the area and build a strong sense
SECTION C2 I COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION
of community pride and involvement. English Landscapes undertook garden maintenance at Lady Herbert’s Cottages to create easily maintainable grounds for the elderly residents. From the 11th of May to the 11th of June the Coventry in Bloom Campaign generated £94,292 worth of PR coverage in the local press including the Telegraph Series and the Coventry Observer, in addition the events and activities have also been broadcast through local and regional radio stations including BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, Touch FM and Mercia. This publicity has helped to raise awareness of the campaign across a broad and diverse section of the community, this was particularly evident in the turn out for the plant giveaway this year as it was one of the most successful and well attended giveaways to date.
To maximise impact and audience awareness the campaign has had various branding and marketing materials produced including planter signs in high footfall areas, these signs are doubly effective as the beds are eye catching with their bright floral displays which is accompanied by the branded boxes full of flowers in eye catching and bold colours and accompanied by the artwork on the exterior. The Police Box has also been branded up with Bloom, centrally located this popular meeting place was used as the area to host the plant giveaway. Bus Shelter and Car Park posters are also in abundance across the city, the size and location of the Bus Shelter Ad Shells provides a low cost and high impact brand awareness strategy in key locations, the litter bins have been branded with vinyl artwork.
Press clippings for the main competition with Coventry Telegraph, signage and displays with this year’s theme, engaging with schools on projects such as bird houses, hutches, gnomes etc, educational awareness through Coombe Abbey activity centre, discovery zones and woodland walks, press coverage of community groups and competitions to evoke response.
SECTION C2 I COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION
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C3 Community Involvement This year’s bloom campaign has created a strong sense of community pride and involvement. A huge cross section of the local community have taken part in the campaign from Girl Guide groups to housing associations. Over the past 12 months the Bloom committee have been engaging and encouraging the public to do their bit by presenting to various associations and liaising with neighbourhood groups. The Girl Guides were especially keen to design the Trinity Bed in the shape of the trefoil to celebrate the centenary of guiding in the UK using a mix of marigolds, begonias and other summer flowering foliage. All across the country, Girl Guides are celebrating their 100th anniversary in as many different ways as possible. The Coventry Guide Group worked closely with English Landscapes for both the planning and planting of the bed and it is an unusual and attractive way to celebrate their anniversary. Jardine Crescent in Tile Hill benefitted from a lick of paint as local
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youths, under the guidance of Stephen Boyle created several wall murals around the area which discouraged anti-social behaviour and graffiti and encouraged teamwork whilst creating stunning artwork within the neighbourhood. The ‘Best Garden Competition’ in association with the Coventry Telegraph has proven extremely popular with the public and the Coventry Telegraph received hundreds of entries from gardens of all different shapes and sizes across the city with the hopeful entrants all vying for their garden to be crowned the best in Coventry. Various residents associations have created their own Bloom themed events and activities, Whitefriars Housing hosted a Bell Green in Bloom day on June 3rd for all local residents who fancied brightening up their balconies with flower boxes this summer. Plants and boxes were available for residents to create their own mini gardens free of charge and Whitefriars staff were on hand to talk to offer general housing advice. The event took place from 10 am to 12 noon in
SECTION C3 I COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Riley Square. Some of the brains behind the project include resident street champions who each look after the street in which they live to make sure any issues, such as graffiti or anti-social behaviour, are reported to keep the area in the best condition possible. With the majority of residents living in flats balcony boxes were the ideal choice to ensure that all residents were able to participate and brighten up their homes in time for summer.
In Studland Green, local residents set about reclaiming and tidying the community green in front of their properties. A group of volunteers picked litter, cut back shrubbery and pruned low hanging tree branches along the popular Sowe Valley footpath. The Sowe Valley is a continuous riverside park stretching for 8½ miles from Hawkesbury Junction Conservation Area in the north to Stonebridge Meadows Local Nature Reserve in the south. It links the countryside with the city and passes Aldermans Green, Wood End, Bell Green, Henley Green, Walsgrave, Clifford Park, Wyken, Ernesford Grange, Binley, Stoke, Willenhall and Whitley. Its character is constantly changing, some parts are green and rural, others are more built up, but all areas provide a place of escape from the noise and pressures of the City.
of local people, the local environment and local business. Their main purpose is ‘to build sustainable communities through joint environmental action’. This includes helping them to have meaningful involvement in the development of their local area.
As well as this, residents’ front gardens across Coventry are ablaze with colourful hanging baskets consisting of petunias, trailing ivy, pansies and a wide mixture of fragrant displays which is both an inviting and encouraging sign that many people like to do their own part in making this city a bright and vibrant location.
The project comprised of a community clearance and tree planting day, art workshops for local primary school children and the creation of a play area, which includes a timber post maze and leaping posts. The community have been engaged throughout the project, through the design process and the clearance and planting events. The local community have gained a new facility which has provided new opportunities for local children to take place in outdoor physical activity.
The Canley Brook project has created a small natural play space with links to footpaths and the natural environment. The project was carried out in association with Groudwork West Midlands a leading environmental regeneration organisation, working in partnership for the benefit
SECTION C3 I COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
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C4 Year-round involvement
the Lady Herbert’s cottages that help generate a cross mix of ages, races, and cultures.
16/4/10 Meeting with both Tile Hill North Residents Association and Canley residents regarding community work
CV One, English Landscapes, Whitefriars and Coventry City Council provide a service to the thousands of residents, visitors and workers all year round. Throughout the 12 months, there is a plethora of activity and energy ploughed into many different schemes and initiatives. Adjacent is a taster of just some of the activities that are invested in. Along with these, we show evidence of support through the regular newsletters that go out to all the homes in the city, sign board notices with upcoming events, community leaflets that provide support and advice to recycling and compost management, clean up days and lottery funded events. Growing Concern is a fantastic example of how a small community garden has grown over the past 8 years to encourage residents to take part in regular activities in their allotments. With high spirit, enthusiasm and good humour, the local, diverse range of people have created a safe haven that everyone can enjoy.
Bloom 2010 Events Diary
22/4/10 Sherbourne Fields press call
CV One and English Landscapes also make sure that the city centre is continually cleaned, planted up and safe all year round, with the companies Schmitt machine utilised during the summer months to clean up any pavement stains, chewing gum deposits and litter. There are also initiatives such as the Allesley Hall Walled Garden market day encouraging residents to buy fresh produce and exchange gardening knowledge and tips, and vegetable planting days for the older residents of
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5/11/09 Commence new shrub planting in Broadgate 14/1/10 Bloom Committee Meeting 5/2/10 Invitation to Whitefriars Housing Association to participate in campaign 25/2/10 Pupils from Sherbourne Fields and Cardinal Wiseman Schools meet for the first time 10/3/10 Bloom Seminar in Burton 16/3/10 Preparatory work undertaken in Greyfriars Green for new herbaceous beds 19/3/10 Invitation to Allesley Old Road Allotments to participate in campaign 22/3/10 Invitation to Coventry Carers to participate in campaign 26/3/10 Residents of Starley Road and Vicroft Court undertake community clear up 10/4/10 Launch in Coventry Telegraph with Best Garden Competition
SECTION C4 I YEAR-ROUND INVOLVEMENT
24/4/10 Allesley Hall Garden potato planting 6/5/10 Planting commences for herbaceous beds in Greyfriars Green 8/5/10 Green Waste skip to Greyfriars Green to collect spent shrubs for plant giveaway 13/5/10 Plant Giveaway outside branded police box 14/5/10 Flower and vegetable planting for Lady Herbert’s Cottage Gardens
C5 Funding and Support Back in January this year, CV One teamed up with The City Council, Coventry Telegraph and Mercia, the local radio station, to offer one lucky entrepreneur the chance to win their own business complete with publicity package worth a staggering £120,000! ‘The Business’ competition will see a local entrepreneur win a retail premise in the popular City Arcade in Greyfriars Walk. The regional newspaper, The Telegraph Series has fully supported the Bloom campaign this year and in collaboration with the event organisers launched a best garden competition where local residents are encouraged to share their best garden pictures to be in
with a chance of winning £1000. The newspaper has also teamed up with local garden centres to giveaway free plants, seeds and gardening equipment to readers. The Go4it awards scheme is awarded to schools which demonstrate they are constantly striving to develop and enhance a culture of creativity and a real adventure for learning. Many schools have utilised this initiative to educate their pupils and raise awareness about the local environment whilst encouraging positive risk taking through a hands on approach.
advice to the schools covering aspects such as sustainability, consultancy for building schools for the future, establishing vital business links and refurbishing the schools grounds. The impact on schools is dramatic, as Mount Nod Primary School in Coventry discovered when HTI’s entire workforce swapped the office for wellies, spades and plant seeds to transform a piece of wooded wasteland into an environmental haven for pupils. In a race against the clock six teams worked to plant bushes, shrubs and wild flowers, complete a sensory vegetable garden, install a nature watch area and clear away undergrowth.
The Greener Communities scheme enhances the outdoor learning environment, minimises carbon footprints and engages pupils environmental awareness. HTI leadership centre offers specialist
15/5/10 Allesley Hall Walled Garden market day 1/6/10 Summer bedding deliveries to commence 3/6/10 Girl Guides Trefoil to be planted in the Trinity Bed 19/6/10 Allesley Hall Walled Garden market day As well as the activities above, CV One, English Landscapes and Coventry Council utilise promotional materials such as banners and round-about signage, posters, press cuttings, fundraising events and promotional campaigns to stimulate interest and adoration for our city’s glorious colourful skyline.
SECTION C5 I FUNDING AND SUPPORT
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Land Rover is a world-renowned manufacturer of premium 4x4’s based in Warwickshire. The company habitually supports the campaign by donating two high specification Range Rovers for the judging day. Land Rover have also worked alongside CV One, English Landscapes and local school children to create an inner city jungle scene in Hertford Street using rainforest inspired planting, the installation is a permanent fixture in the city. A wide range of city businesses have also showed their support for the campaign including: City College, Jackson Rose, Coventry University, Bendigo Mitchell, Merrick Binch and Transpire. All these companies have taken out sponsorship on a variety of roundabout signage across the city. Each sign carries the supporting Coventry in Bloom strapline.
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SECTION C5 I FUNDING AND SUPPORT
CV One and English Landscapes have supported the local community groups, residents and schools by supplying a range of materials including bulbs, seeds, hanging baskets, gardening equipment as well as expert advice and assistance to help unite our city in bloom. The local Girl Guides group were thrilled to have been selected for the esteemed Trinity Bed this year as part of their centenary celebrations, English Landscapes supplied and planted the flowers for the bed and CV One created and installed the signage at the site.
Blossom tree in Lady Herbert’s Garden