Coventry in Bloom Review

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JUDGES PORTFOLIO 2008



CONTENTS JUDGES PORTFOLIO 2008 04.

Welcome

05.

Section A

I Floral displays

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Section B

I Permanent landscaping including shrubs

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Section C

I Local Agenda 21 and Sustainable Developments

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Section D

I Local Environmental Quality

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Section E

I Public Awareness


04.

WELCOME

Heart of England in Bloom 2008 – Tour 15 July 2008 This year sees CV One, Coventry City Council, English Landscapes and Whitefriars Housing Group join together to enter the Large City category.

Coventry in Bloom 2008

All have worked together in partnership with the single aim of creating and maintaining a city which blooms all the year round.

Welcome from Cllr Andy Matchet, Lord Mayor of Coventry “Coventry’s entry this year is a culmination of the efforts of various organisations including Coventry City Council, CV One, Whitefriars Housing Group and also local community groups across the city.

The environment they live in means a lot to the people of Coventry, so we will continue in our joint efforts to provide a cleaner, greener and attractive city – not only for its citizens, but also for the many visitors who come to our great city each year.

Many dedicated and committed people have worked with a great sense of pride, as well as a lot of hard work, to be involved in the Heart of England in Bloom, 2008 project. I would like to thank them all and also wish them ‘Good Luck’ in their bid for gold.”

INTRODUCTION

Lady Herbert's Garden

Eventide Homes

Sherbourne Fields school

Templars School

Westwood Heath Garden and Allotments club

Canley Crematorium

the war Memorial Park

Top green bedding displays

Council House

The 2008 theme for Coventry in Bloom is ‘Roots in History’, and follows Coventry’s epic, historical story through the natural progression of its famous heritage. The historical roots of our city will be showcased in several displays across Coventry, taking in an impressive array of colourful, exotic, fresh and vibrant beds and structures, prominent landscaping, local environment quality initiatives and a dedicated focus in highlighting our continual efforts in working together.

Trinity Bed in Priory Row St Mary's guildHall


SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

SECTION A FLORAL DISPLAYS Coventry`s colourful flowerbeds and open spaces are important in leaving a positive, lasting impression to the many visitors to the city, providing a wide variety of diverse floral displays and multi-cultural planting to accommodate any businesses or residential spatial in and around Coventry. This year we are proud to be celebrating our Roots in History, and are reflecting these monumental phases throughout Coventry’s fascinating heritage by utilising the green spaces to present a wide variety of planting and colour to enrich and build on our community spirit.

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Coventry has always ensured that its complementation of colour and landscaping projects make a lasting impact on both its residents and businesses alike, and with a continued focus on planting delightful, seasonal container selections and sustainable bedding developments, particularly around the city centre, the colourful bloom this year has been used to successfully enhance the buildings and architecture that makes up the city’s heritage design. Plants are sourced locally, from Leasowes Nursery, which is managed by the Council and certain exotic plants, such as agave, canna and palms are chosen to create a Mediterranean style, together with seasonal barrier troughs along the eastern

arterial route through the city. Central reservation barrier troughs are planted up with species adapted to meet the requirements of the harsh winds and hottest sun traps, with exotic plantings incorporated into the schemes along with gravel, sand, cobbles and slate. Regular grass cutting and litter picking activities ensure that these roadside areas are maintained all year round. Hardy and good quality plants are selected to help define hard landscaped areas, and add a varying amount of colour, value for money and coverage for the location. Self dead-heading geraniums that require little water have been chosen for hanging baskets and planters to minimise the need for maintenance and frequent watering.

Fobwatch display Greyfriars Green

Planting Top Green

SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

Lady Herbert’s Garden

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SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

Helter Skelter bed Greyfriars Green

The containers and hanging baskets over our bustling streets are there to help to enrich and enhance our commercial and business sites, with long trailing plants and colourful petunias selected for the most effective measure of display. We also ensure that our containers and baskets contain water reservoirs, allowing plants to survive and prosper in the full glare of the sun, with twiceweekly watering. Floral beds in Greyfriars Green use water feeding systems that drip feed the plants every evening, reducing the amount of water used but providing a suitable growing environment for the bloom displays. This year, to celebrate Roots in History, we have enriched our Greyfriars site with a helter skelter floral design, watch bed and ribbon site.

By 1860, nearly a hundred watchmakers were employing more than 2000 people in the city, making Coventry one of three national centres for the trade in this country. We have also planted a ribbon bed site this year to continue the heritage celebrations.

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As part of our continual commitment to providing Coventry with summer displays throughout the entire season, our feature displays and contributions include: • 230 square precinct planters • 488 barrels • 275 baskets • 73 troughs • 120 barrier troughs • 50, 200 bedding plants • 210 lamp post wrap-around baskets • 300 barrier plants

Business and Commercial Throughout Coventry many businesses and commercial premises have supported or sponsored many floral displays, baskets and planters in and around their locations, with a wide variety of floral contributions.

Edwin Rogers House, Canley

SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

Sky Blue Way planters

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Browns Bar in the city centre has a colourful array of flowers in large planters, appreciated by the consumer and the community as they indulge in morning cake and coffee.

Visitors arriving in the city by bus will be welcomed by many flowers in planters outside the entrance of Pool Meadow bus station and also barrier troughs near to the Britannia hotel.

Other bars and restaurants include Albany Social Club, Gallery restaurant, Turmeric Gold, Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre, West Orchards Shopping Centre and along Smithford Way have all stepped in to lend a green fingered hand.

At Coventry Railway Station a strong partnership has been established with Virgin Trains over the past three years. This year there is a drought resistant bed outside the station, four floral beds on the platform, and the greeting ‘Welcome to Coventry’ has been created to sit on the steep bank. To create each letter, flowers are encased in 3D steel frames so that the flowers do not move out of position.

Even the suburbs of Earlsdon and Cheylesmore are getting involved in the community planting. Many businesses have contributed to their own water feeding systems, conserving water usage and boosting the quality of the floral displays.


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Residential Front Garden, Ansty Road

SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

Over 28 local businesses have also sponsored roundabouts in the city so far this year. Good examples are the Orchard Park roundabout and the Central Six shopping centre. There is also evidence of commitment to supporting the Bloom campaign on islands at Extra Care Charitable Trust, University of Warwick Science Park, Clifford Bridge Road and landscaped islands in Cross Point Business Park and Junction 5 of the ringroad, near Mile Lane and New Union Street.

Residential Front Gardens

Vicroft Court

This year the residents in Coventry have responded in huge numbers to various campaigns and initiatives to improve, develop and sustain

their front gardens and balcony areas. By taking part in various activities around Coventry in designing their own garden space, residents are fully dedicated in joining together as a community to challenge and support one another in their attempts at planting colourful, artistic displays. Vicroft Court spent a day planting up their front gardens, together with CV One, Co-Op and English Landscapes to regenerate the area with successful planting schemes and maintenance. Hanging baskets have also been supplied for the residents of Starley Road, with extra planters and hanging baskets added to support them and their love for gardening and community spirit.

All residents in the city have been invited to enter a garden competition that has been supported by the Coventry Telegraph. There are prizes for different categories, with an overall prize selected by the readers. Whitefriars residents, who live in the city’s largest stock of housing sites, are encouraged to enter their own annual residents’ garden competition. This has been running for over sixty years and includes categories for front and back gardens, balconies, communal areas and individual plantings. Awards are also given for novices, retired people and overall champion.


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SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

Residents’ groups have also made special efforts in support of the Heart of England in Bloom competition. Styvechale residents held an Open Gardens Day in midJune where 16 gardens were open to the public and money collected from the sale of tea and cakes was donated to the local hospice. A resident in Capmartin Road got in touch wanting to support the competition by having made a dull rear entry to a number of properties a more cheerful place by planting and maintaining a rambling rose.

Community Involvement

annual resident’s garden competition by planting sunflowers and decorating plant pots. Neighbourhood Wardens have built up a good relationship with local residents and they have worked together on many projects. A pond area in Tanyard Farm was vandalised through having had polystyrene foam from a building site emptied into it and set on fire. Wardens worked with residents and contacted the Environmental Crime Unit at the Council who used their powers to make the land owner clear the site.

School Garden Whoberly School

Sherbourne Fields Special School

Whitefriars Housing Group (WHG) organised an annual educational

competition for schools called “How does your garden grow?” This year WHG invited 12 local schools from Nursery, Reception and Year 1, to encourage them to be the citizens of tomorrow by appreciating the environment and getting interested in the garden and all things green. To help get them started each school was given a starter pack consisting of various items including: plants, bulbs, seeds, tools, watering cans, curriculum lined books, a sapling tree and a disposable camera so they could photograph their work. The schools were free to use the contents in isolation, as part of lessons or add them to any existing project. Children are also encouraged to take part in the


SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

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Barrs Hill planting Trinity Street

Primrose Hill Planting Day

Wardens also worked with Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), the Guinness Trust, a local farmer and 17 youths to clear litter in the Tanyard Farm area. The youths helped fill a skip after clearing the area and learnt a lot about community spirit and being a good neighbour. Community involvement is encouraging - with residents, the Council and other partner organisations working together to make the city a colourful and thriving place to live, work and visit. People In Action is a daycare facility for adults with learning disabilities who help our maintenance teams around Coventry.

Trustees from Fords Hospital Almshouse have completed work on the medieval walled communal garden as part of their involvement in the Bloom campaign.


SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

Activities at Sherbourne Fields Special School, Templars School, Whoberley School and Barrs Hill School have all culminated their efforts in making a difference to the spaces that they operate within. Sherbourne Fields have been at the spearhead of a complete plot makeover, with animal hutches, floral beds and community building projects such as birdbox design taking up much of their spare time. Barrs Hill Specialist Engineering College is celebrating its

100th anniversary, and as part of this monumental centenary, took part in a spectacular planting day near Trinity Church in Coventry, to root their spot in history. By joining forces with English Landscapes, the children will be planting various floral blooms by the side of an impressive guild badge designed as part of the Trinity Bed structure. This amazing, eye-catching bed is a result of our roots in history, and supporting the local schools and communities in making a difference to our city. Greyfriars Green Tidy Up

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SECTION B. PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS

SECTION B PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS

Over 900 hectares of parks, open spaces, woodlands and allotments located over 450 sites are managed by the Council, CV One and Whitefriars. The core aim is to provide all residents of Coventry with access to a public park or green space for relaxation or play, within a reasonable distance from their home. Across the city, these sites are being regularly maintained to a high standard, and whenever possible, new landscaping and planting is taking place.

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SECTION B. PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS

Coombe Country Park

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Local Authority/ Bloom Group The War Memorial Park is one of the city’s most visited parks and includes a variety of shrubs and features, including a sunken garden and one of the largest collections of copper beech trees in the country. A heritage lottery bid has been secured to restore the park to the days of its former glory by reinstating many of the formal garden features that have been lost over time with the addition of improved public facilities. Created in the 1920’s as a lasting memorial to all those who gave their lives in the First World War, Coventry’s War Memorial Park now stands on the threshold of major restoration.

On the back of a £2.8 million Heritage Lottery grant and matchfunding from the Council, work begins next year to improve visitor facilities and restore the horticultural and landscape beauty of the city’s

premier park. Plans for the 50 hectare park include the restoration of theme gardens and ornamental features, new tree planting, playing fields improvements and ecological enhancements to give one area a ‘country park’ feel. A ‘Friends of the War Memorial Park’ group is working with the Council and designers to create a park that Coventry can be proud of, in time for the 100th anniversary of the Great War in 2014. The park is also home to several of Coventry’s most successful festivals including Godiva. Coombe Country Park contains many types of permanent landscaping for visitors to enjoy, including woodland, lakes, formal gardens, wildflower meadows and also a wildlife area and heronry. These are further enhanced by seasonal floral displays. Coombe is also fully established in the growth of its landscaping schematics, facilities and conservation habitats.

To enhance the appearance of open spaces in the city, parks and grass verges are cut every ten days. Ornamental hedges are trimmed two or three times each year, with field hedges trimmed annually. The Allotments Association is also liaised with regularly to tidy up the allotments and make them appealing to prospective gardeners.


SECTION B. PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS

Lady Herbert’s Garden

School grounds are visited regularly with grass areas cut every ten days, pitches marked out weekly and horticultural services (shrub pruning, bed maintenance etc) undertaken when necessary. A new square is being planned in the city centre that has involved public consultation. The design includes an avenue of liquid amber styraci flua trees and lots of planters with new benches and a suitable piece of public art for the square to provide a place for workers and shoppers to relax. 24 roundabouts have been upgraded around the city to date with around 28 of them sponsored. Investment in traffic islands last year was almost ÂŁ70,000, with some companies sponsoring more than one island. All islands are sponsored by local businesses, with five committing to sponsoring improvements and maintenance on a two or three year basis. Various car parks in and around the city centre are adorned with low

maintenance landscaping of various shrubs and grass areas; wooden planters containing acers adding a wide variety of colour, offering a considerable lift amongst the sixties building designs. Belgrade Plaza in particular has a vast array of shrubbery and subtle leaf planting in a modern landscaped area. The Magistrates Car Park is also aligned with greenery in the form of beech, acer and deciduous plantings.

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SECTION B. PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS

Westwood Business Park

Commercial Premises Several business parks and commercial centre across the city enjoy well-maintained landscaped areas creating a pleasant environment for all that work and visit here. Many businesses at Westwood Business Park have extensive landscaping and sustainable planting, such as shrubs and perennials that give year round colour. Barclays Bank is an excellent example and has a lake surrounded by trees and shrubs in the centre of their office complex. This provides not only a haven for workers during a busy day, but also for local wildlife. The Coventry Business Park has many attractive permanent landscape features including a roundabout sponsored by Deeley Properties that is situated next to their new Head Office.

Gallagher Retail Park and the Arena Park have also been designed with borders and large planters containing easily maintainable shrubs giving colour during the winter as well as the summer. These include pyracantha, mahonia, cordyline and phormium. The Herbert has also been at the forefront of a massive outdoor regeneration scheme, with the foyer area at the back of the Herbert softly transformed with a Mediterranean polish. Lightly coloured Olive trees, shrubs and tidy verges generate an almost exotic ambience to an otherwise idealistic quiet zone. Other plantings involve bamboo and lavender, along with benches and hitherto unseen reconciliation memories attached to this plot. An ornamental bed planted with nectar rich plants to encourage

bees and butterflies surrounds the Registry Office. A bridge crosses a picturesque bog garden using wetland plants that provide a thriving haven for wildlife in the city centre as well as a backdrop for married couples’ photographs. On the outskirts of the city, Canley Crematorium gardens create a peaceful and tranquil setting for the bereaved. It has four formal gardens: the rose garden, the seasonal area, the formal pond area and the English woodland area. A children’s garden has been added that has seasonal floral displays alongside more permanent shrubs and has appropriate benches with sculptures of teddy bears and ducks as part of the landscaping. London Road Cemetery has also had around 12 trees and 1,500 shrubs planted to improve the entrance and view from the main road.


SECTION B. PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS

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Ansty Road Tiger Turf

Eventide Homes

Daventry Road Island

Residential Areas Coventry has over 350,000 trees and almost one fifth of these are in residential areas. Wherever possible trees that need to be removed are replaced with an appropriate species to suit the local environment. Ornamental species are often used as they have a smaller canopy and often with the additional benefit of providing pretty blossom in the spring. If there is sufficient space, large broad-leaved species will also be planted. In the last 12 months over 100 unsuitable trees have been replaced all over the city in residential areas including: Sewall Highway (34), Harefield Road (32), Clovelly Road (16), Bulls Head Lane

(10), Stoneleigh Avenue (8) and Shirley Road (7). On Sewall Highway hard surfacing has been added to grass verges and paving has been added near roundabouts. This has meant that effective parking has been provided whilst retaining grass and trees. A new housing development on the east side of the city that includes some Whitefriars housing has been planned with low maintenance in mind, and sustainable planting that lifts the area and helps blend the development into the neighbouring woodland. One of the busiest roads in the city, the Ansty Road, mainly dual carriageway in most stretches can

be difficult to maintain with some of the grass central reservations. To improve the local area, a trial of artificial ‘Tiger Turf’ has been used on one stretch of the main road. This has been a successful visual improvement to overlong grass, or closing a lane of traffic to cut the grass or even laying tarmac, and is completely maintenance free. Eight roundabouts in residential areas have been upgraded around the city since last year to improve the local environment and have been landscaped with structural components, year round colour, with minimal maintenance and sustainability in mind.


SECTION B. PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS

Moreton Morrell

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Community Involvement Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) has worked with local residents groups and other organisations on a number of projects in Hillfields to improve the surroundings. The East Street Pocket Park, also known as Weavers Walk, was transformed into a play area (incorporating a wildlife garden for creatures and insects, as well as wild flowers to grow) from a piece of disused and neglected land. Four recycling bins and a mosaic were created by community arts organisation, Arts Exchange, and local school children. The entrances to the park are based on the history of the area - Pennyfarthing cycles and Singer sewing machines, both representing the Roots in History theme for this year’s competition. WWT and residents from the nearby flats, worked closely with the Groundwork team and a landscape architect Louise Kovarovic, to create a ‘One World Garden’. Funding was secured from Your Neighbourhood Matters, and the Council granted permission to build the garden on a nearby patch of neglected land that was a site for alcohol abuse and flytipping. This year the Council’s landscapes team are offering students studying Horticulture BTEC National

Diplomas at Moreton Morrell Agricultural College the chance to undertake summer placements. For 18 weeks from May to September they are working in three core areas at the War Memorial Park, Coombe Abbey and on the public golf courses gaining an insight into both the care of fine turf as well as traditional landscaping and gardening. A local voluntary group has worked tirelessly to recreate the Georgian kitchen garden in Allesley Park walled garden. The group is steadily restoring it to the days when it supplied fruit and vegetables for the hall’s owners and servants. The walled garden volunteers organise educational events and activities in the garden to celebrate its history. Jardine Crescent, a more deprived area in the city, is being landscaped with 240 shrubs, six trees, and 4,200 bulbs and having footpath improvements. Local schools and residents are helping to provide community art and interpretive boards. The Colchester and Winchester Streets Flowerbed Improvement project was part-funded by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). Local residents group, the Singer Residents Association, initiated the project

and the funding allowed the Trust to work with them to purchase tools and a tool store, to deliver training and to plant smaller and more colourful plants to make the streets feel safer and more attractive to both people and wildlife. The project involved children from Southfield Primary School, the Gardening Club and Neighbourhood Wardens. As a result of their involvement with the Flowerbed Improvement project, the Singer Residents Association were named Best Community Group in the West Midlands by BTCV. Vicroft Court was one example of community interaction, along with Sherbourne Fields School, where not just floral beds were implemented, but a brand new landscaped area for the children, including a rabbit hutch run, brand new open green lawn space and a tree bark pathway. Other activities in Coventry include allotment maintenance, school ground regeneration and team building, a commitment to planting more trees in the suburbs of Coventry, and an educational tour of the new Herbert centre, where youngsters can interact with the all-new Jungle Experience.


SECTION C. LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

SECTION C LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Coventry demonstrates an increasing commitment and emphasis on sustainability in everything, and the way the urban environment is managed is no exception. Last year, the Leader of the Council created a new cabinet portfolio of Climate Change, Housing and Sustainability after signing up to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change in 2006. Residents have been consulted on the city’s draft Climate Change and Sustainability action plan and the policy is being shaped following residents’ comments.

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SECTION C. LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Management of natural areas and educational programmes Coombe Country Park sits on the eastern side of the city and is one of its greatest assets, attracting visitors from not only the city but all over Warwickshire as an educational resource. It is one of the city’s most historic sites and due to the management of the park it is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and was also awarded Green Flag status in 2007. The park includes a wildflower meadow, heronry and heritage oak woodland with nature walks and formal gardens containing seasonal flower displays and topiary. There is also a visitor centre that gives information about wildlife in the park and rangers are also on hand to offer assistance and help manage the park. Bird watchers can visit the park’s bird hides to enjoy spotting herons, nuthatches and green woodpeckers.

Coombe Country Park

Coombe Country Park was also the venue for a three day educational event, ‘2008 and Beyond’ with over 40 Coventry schools taking part. The children took part in workshops about fairtrade, composting, energy efficiency, recycling, biodiversity and other sustainability issues. Other schools in Warwickshire were also invited to come along to the annual event. The current Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Housing and Sustainability, volunteered his time to be a group leader for a day and helped the children get the most benefit out of the activities in the

given time. Sustainable woodland management is a key objective in the city and active programmes of coppicing, glade creation, pond clearing, path improvements and bridge construction have been undertaken with the help of British Trust Conservation Volunteers. Pupils have also helped to preserve the local genetic identity of the trees at Coombe by collecting and propagating acorns from ancient oaks. Elkin Wood, an ancient bluebell wood, is being restored in partnership with the Woodland Trust to help people with limited mobility, access areas more easily. Coundon Community Woodland is being restored with the help of a local residents group and the Countryside Project by planting more trees and cultivating an adjoining wildflower meadow with improved paths and drainage. Longford Nature Park is being developed under a liveability programme and is another wildlife haven that has large areas managed with biodiversity in mind along with Coundon Wedge countryside area and nature trail, Allesley Village nature reserve and Sowe Valley Green Wedge. Riverside and canal pathways are being improved with better surfacing, signage and access and stretches of the canal towpath have been regenerated and provide an important habitat for breeding butterflies, dragonflies and endangered water voles. In areas such as Sowe Valley, Lake View Park and Longford Park, maintenance teams are trained to not inadvertently destroy suitable

water vole and other wildlife habitat by going too close to the banks as part of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan. An ‘eco-schools’ programme has been running in the city since 1995. The campaign is supported by EnCams, who encourage schools to be as environmentally friendly as possible by educating children at all levels about wildlife in its natural habitat, the importance of recycling, keeping their local environment free from litter and save energy to help reduce the effects of climate change. There are now 68 schools registered as eco-schools in Coventry. Sacred Heart Primary School this year received the city’s first permanent Green Flag - the highest award possible. Many roadside verges have also been sown with wildflower seeds to help preserve diminishing wildlife. Along stretches of the A45, poppies now flourish instead of tarmac or grass, which can be hard to maintain on busy stretches of road. Such areas are managed in much the same way that a traditional (low maintenance) hay meadow might have been many years ago, thus plants have a chance to set seed before cutting, and the lack of chemical sprays allows a multitude of wild plants, insects and other animals to thrive. Hedges have also been planted at Stoke Heath and Holbrook Park to improve or replace once existing hedges to provide a habitat for wildlife as well as being visually pleasing.


Coombe Country Park Bird Hides

Waste management and conservation of natural resources Coventry diverts the largest amount of waste away from landfill than any other council in England (based on latest figures). Energy is recovered from incinerating non-recyclable household waste and sold to the national grid. Coventry residents recycled over 25% of their domestic waste last year. This amount is set to increase as plans are being made for a major expansion of kerbside collection initiatives. The recycling rate has more than doubled in the last four years with over 19,000 tonnes of waste recycled and over 16,000 tonnes of waste composted. Every house in the city receives a kerbside recycling collection where they can recycle paper and cardboard. Every home with a garden also receives a garden green waste collection on alternate weeks. All of the green waste is sent to a local farmer who converts the waste to soil improver, which is spread on land. Local soil improver trials are also being conducted on Coventry’s allotments to investigate maximising the efficiency of this

SECTION C. LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

home grown resource. Green waste collected from around the city’s parks is also recycled along with the remains of the seasonal planters at Leasowes Nursery. The end product is then used in any new landscaping or planting projects carried out around the city. An additional trial recycling scheme for glass, aluminium cans, and recyclable plastic type HDPE was established across 21,500 homes in 2006 has now been expanded. Coventry’s policy decision to reduce its carbon footprint by not sending plastics to the far east has meant finding a local processor in the UK. The trial has been very successful and will continue to run while plans are being made to expand it across the city. Residents not in the trial can also take these types of waste to the civic amenity site where there are special containers to recycle these items or they can use any of the many bottle, paper and can banks around the city. The Sustainable City team researched the potential for using a variety of sustainable innovations around the city, such as introducing ‘green’ turfed roofs on some properties following consultation with the public.

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The team has already raised awareness on the benefits of saving energy at work and at home through the ‘Switch it off’ campaign and will be working with a series of community groups and other local authorities, in the annual ‘Switch it off’ day. The team also works closely with some businesses in the region to help them improve sustainable practices and enhance environmental standards. The Cabinet Member has also worked with the team to consult the public and businesses on phasing out plastic bags in the city. All schools in the city have been offered a recycling service for paper and cardboard. They are also offered garden waste bins/compost bins where appropriate. Virtually all the schools have taken up the offer of paper recycling. They are provided with blue bins, a total of 660 bins all clearly labelled up for paper recycling or blue-lidded wheel bins or a Kappa bank, depending on the size of the school and access.


SECTION C. LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2008 Beyond Event Coombe Country Park

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Children are very enthusiastic recyclers and respond well to the challenge to use the bins. Several special schools are particularly renowned for the amount of paper they collect and the enthusiasm with which they collect it. Sherbourne Fields Special school children were encouraging residents to recycle by offering a service to decorate their recycling bins and decorated their own bins in the school. School children also took part in compost making at the 2008 and Beyond event at Coombe Country Park. All seedlings used in displays and landscaping around the city are propagated locally. This helps reduce the environmental effects of transportation and also any risks of bringing disease to plants in from other areas.

Water conservation is very important and has been taken into account when planning the types of plants for displays and also in methods of watering: • Leasowes Nursery uses a system that collects greywater from the greenhouse roof to water all of the plants in the greenhouse and tunnels and there are also water butts at a number of locations in the city centre that collect rainwater to water the many flowers. • An effective, electronic, timed watering system is also used in Broadgate to drip feed the hanging baskets with the correct amount of water they need and at a time that there will be less water evaporation. • A new bed at the railway station was constructed with water conservation in mind.

Many parts of the city are undergoing regeneration and with this comes the opportunity to plan in pocket green space. This not only provides homes for wildlife and valuable visual relief in an urban environment but also helps reduce the ‘heat island’ effect where local temperatures can be raised to uncomfortable levels if greenery is absent. These green spaces, such as the pocket park on the corner of Hill Street and also by the Toy Museum, assist with flood management considering the predicted effects of climate change. The Urban Rangers carry out environmental improvements and clean-up operations of the canal and other local green spaces every week. This involves teams of local volunteers from a wide range of cultural backgrounds joining forces to improve their own local environment.


SECTION D. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

SECTION D LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY The city has a co-ordinated approach to keeping the city safer, cleaner and greener. Coventry reached the finals of the BCC Clean Britain Award in 2006, amongst the top ten cities in the country, and it has carried on with the same principles. With several leading initiatives and the latest technology invested in to help continue its efforts in local environmental quality, 2008 is looking like it could be one of the best years yet for the city of Coventry.

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SECTION D. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Lady Herbert’s Garden

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This year Coventry is investing in a new ultra low volume spraying system for weed control called Manakar, in the city centre. Coventry is one of the first cities in the country to use this system, and it is hoped to reduce chemical inputs and labour costs compared to conventional knapsack and CDA spraying methods. In the paved areas of the city centre, weeds are eradicated by spraying them with Glyphosate on a clear day with no wind. English Landscapes cleaning and greening staff are also encouraged to pull out any weeds from planters and along hard landscaped areas as part of their general maintenance routines. In the city centre new posters that pose topical questions have gone up, reducing gum being dropped on the floor. A new initiative called Miraclean 1 machine, is being used to tackle environmental stains. The system works by mixing water and

a citrus based solution to remove fixed-on chewing gum from the streets. By using the very latest in environmental and biodegradable substances, the Miraclean 1 turns the stain into a pliable material, and disintegrates it, allowing the operator to remove any form of gum in heavy footfall areas. All the statues in Coventry city centre including the Godiva Statue, Coventry Boy, Thomas White, James Starley, Coventry Cross and Peeping Tom are all regularly cleaned with a special low pressure cleaning treatment. The Council recently agreed to increase the fine for dog fouling and littering, to £75 (from £50) as a greater deterrent. Animal Welfare officers patrol park areas on bicycles to help them get around quickly.

Animal Welfare officers also educate dog owners about responsibility in evening classes at Coventry schools, and annually holds ‘Canine Capers’ – a fun event which helps bring the message to a wider audience, and involves the community. Smoking in public spaces has been banned for over a year, but officers from the Environmental Health team continue to work with businesses and the public to help educate them to reduce smokerelated litter. Free ‘stubbies’ were given out to the public in the city centre for their cigarette butts.


25. Mower Man, The War Memorial Park

SECTION D. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

During last year we continued to progress with the ‘Don’t dump it’ project, which enabled Neighbourhood Wardens to report fly tipping instantly. This has reduced the amount of time fly tipping was left on the street, and reduced the level of ‘copycat’ fly tipping. The wardens work with the public, and other organisations, to clean up areas that could be potentially dangerous to the community. A mobile working project, where wardens can post advisory cards where they find waste in gardens, has also been created. If the cards are not acted upon a referral is made to the Environmental Crime Unit and a legal notice is issued to make the land owner remove the waste. Since April this year, 145 notices have been served with three prosecutions, resulting in £600 in fines, and £1,545 in costs. Coventry City Council takes a strong line against fly tipping and continues its policy to prosecute offenders

whenever possible. Since April 2007, there have been 11 successful prosecutions in court for fly tipping, with fines totaling £3,345 and £2,813 in costs. A formal caution was also issued for a fly tipping offence, along with a successful prosecution for two trade waste offences. Work to target waste in gardens has also been successful. Last year there was 448 notices served (an increase of 53 compared to the previous period) with 11 prosecutions. Fines totalled £2,500 and with £4,144 awarded in costs. Since April 2007 ‘duty of care’ leaflets have been delivered to 515 businesses. 78 have had received follow-up visits, of which 49 were satisfactory, 20 produced small amounts of waste (and have been advised to obtain commercial bin bags) and nine businesses were targeted for formal action.


26.

SECTION D. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Whitefriars Housing Group (WHG) takes an active part in the ‘impact’ days with other agencies such as Coventry City Council, Police, Fire Service, and community groups. WHG was responsible for the removal of graffiti and bulk waste from Willenhall (twice) and Hillfields. They also spent over £50,000 from an environmental improvement budget on projects across the city such as the renovation of old play areas, removing and replanting hedges, also replanting shrub beds and turfing areas to reduce anti-social behaviour. In the New Deal for Communities (NDC) areas there are new grassed areas, benches, litter bins and trees. WHG also have a programme to remove diseased trees on their property across the city. For example in Almond Tree Avenue, in Bell Green, they removed a dead tree and re-planted two Almond trees. WHG staff and their contractors use a contact herbicide “round up” on the estates to eradicate weeds, applying it between four and six times a year. The grass is cut every 10 to 12 days on the estates, and every 8 to 10 days in sheltered housing. An in-house team

pressure-washes the bulk bins at properties across the city, also sweeping areas such as car parks, garage sites, tenant communal areas and rear drying areas. Coventry has over 170 locations where people can recycle. The majority of facilities are where residents, especially non-car users, can easily access them. All community recycling centres were located following consultation with the local residents. It was felt that if residents were involved in the decision-making process, the recycling centres would be used more. Full recycling centres can also be found at all the major supermarkets and other larger sites. Before new recycling banks are sited for the community they are coated in anti flyposting paint. Older previously sited banks have also been repainted in anti vandal paint to give a uniform look to all recycling banks. Key recycling centres are sometimes cleaned every day with less busy centres being cleansed weekly. Crews are sent out to clean any waste that has been reported as dumped around recycling sites to keep the area clean.

Across the city, maintenance of street furniture, such as litter bins, is taking place all year round. Outside the Herbert Art Gallery panels have been erected at the gap site to create a colourful screen next to the main entrance. At IKEA plaza, panels have been used to communicate messages to the public about the environmental campaigns and schemes set up to help promote the city. Five ‘talking’ CCTV units have been installed across the city centre that have security cameras fitted with speakers. They are used effectively to direct warnings against people acting in nuisance way. Street furniture around the city, such as lamp posts and junction boxes have been coated with a special textured anti-fly posting paint, with the Council implementing new posting policies and licensing acts.

Mankar Unit

Miraclean 1


SECTION E. PUBLIC AWARENESS

SECTION E PUBLIC AWARENESS For this year’s theme, Roots in History, Coventry in Bloom is continuing to build strong connections between our famous heritage and culture, binding us to that of strength and prosperity. With the support from Coventry’s bustling economy, and the reinforcing statements and artwork of one city, one vision, our public awareness has strengthened tenfold this year with various campaigns and activities.

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28.

SECTION E. PUBLIC AWARENESS

Marketing The promotional push used for this year’s campaign was driven by the Bloom taxis that both CV One and the Council invested in. Alongside these fantastic motor vehicles was an extensive and broad campaign incorporating outdoor media and electronic street broadcasts, posters and signs, flyers and website material. Along Croft Road next to the main IKEA development, we have also made sure that we are heavily promoting the efforts of everyone involved by waving the flags of heritage and history through its defining roots, to support Coventry’s entry into this year’s Heart of England in Bloom. Another successful formula for the 2008 design is the branded signage on flowerbed displays and islands around the city, further promoting the campaign with material through bus shelter posters situated on Trinity Street and posters at the Railway Station. Car parks and roadsides have also been allocated poster sites, and litter bins and street broadcasts also highlight our full commitment to the cause. We have received enormous support for the CV One website to support the Coventry in Bloom campaign, and this was designed and managed by CV One’s ICT Manager. It has continued to develop over the last three years, becoming an invaluable resource for local and national interest.

The 2008 promotional campaign includes: • branded taxis • bus shelter posters • posters at the railway station • posters in all the city centre car parks • posters on litter bins • traffic island sponsorship • the official website • signage located in flower beds


SECTION E. PUBLIC AWARENESS

Publicity There has once again been a constant and consistent flow of articles in the local press, on the radio and on the Internet. The annual plant giveaway was located in the upper precinct in May 2008, and this was followed with three more successful public campaigns with invited press with Barrs Hill School receiving both print and televised coverage for its centenary celebrations. Capmartin Road and Sherbourne Fields School were also featured. CV One and English Landscapes also had good responses from the media and the public with their new Miraclean 1 machine, which we submitted as the new weapon against chewing gum removal on our streets. This new piece of technology is being used to cleanse the streets of Coventry, whilst ensuring a safer, more environmentally friendly place to live, visit and work. Coventry City Council and CV One also combined their efforts to support the local Coventry Telegraph competition, which gave us incredible presence with the readers of this publication. As part of the official sponsor package, Coventry in Bloom raised awareness of the Heart of England in Bloom campaign by joining forces with the media to offer one lucky winner a chance to win garden vouchers up to the value of ÂŁ1,000. Regular articles have also featured in Citivision, the Council's own newsletter, which is delivered bi-monthly to every household in Coventry.

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PUBLIC AWARENESS

Sponsorship/Innovating This year Coventry in Bloom is celebrating Roots in History, and along with our continual focus on providing our residents and visitors with a visual splendour of colour and design, we also take careful measures to ensure that our sponsored islands and bedding are well maintained throughout the entire year. For 2008, we are delighted to be able to once again partner up with some of the most influential and integral businesses around Coventry, supplying us with both the support and the belief in the Heart of England in Bloom competition. This goes some way to help achieve our overall goal of assisting in the community and the economy by offering a wide variety of varying displays, colours, shapes and sizes on some of our main islands and road networks. Once again the Isle Casino, Enliven, Tubs & Tiles, GFS Car Parts, Arco, Sainsbury's, McCranor Kirby Hill, University of Warwick Science Park, BMI Healthcare, Smith’s Nurseries, Cheapest Tyres, Lloyds Pharmacy, My Care, Cassidy Developments, Extra Care Charitable Trust, DNA Paving, Brinklow Quarry, Deeley's, Astleys, Travis Perkins, CPP Manufacturing (Cov Prototype Panels) and Harris Signs are supporting the cause, and we are so proud to be able to work alongside them, and be able to fund the work carried out on some of our core advertising positions around the city. By adding a real splash of colour to the city’s roads, businesses continue to plough in support into Coventry in Bloom by funding their own signage and broadcasts, aligned with the extensive work programmes we have going on in and around Coventry to radically improve the landscape around our residential, commercial and business areas.

THE ISLE CASINO ENLIVEN TUBS & TILES GFS CAR PARTS ARCO SAINSBURY'S MCCRANOR KIRBY HILL UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK SCIENCE PARK BMI HEALTHCARE SMITH’S NURSERIES CHEAPEST TYRES LLOYDS PHARMACY MY CARE CASSIDY DEVELOPMENTS EXTRA CARE CHARITABLE TRUST DNA PAVING BRINKLOW QUARRY DEELEY'S ASTLEYS TRAVIS PERKINS CPP MANUFACTURING (COV PROTOTYPE PANELS) HARRIS SIGNS BARRS HILL BED



This portfolio is based on the tremendous work of the employees, residents and businesses in Coventry. A big 'thank you' to everyone for their efforts and continued support." Cllr Andy Matchet

Liz Millett

Howard Farrand

Cllr Hazel Noonan

Lord Mayor of Coventry

Chief Executive, CV One

Chief Executive, Whitefriars Housing Group

Cabinet Member for City Services


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