Green fingers

Ground Control is a multi disciplinary national landscaping company devoted to providing landscape design, soft landscaping, fencing, tree works and routine grounds maintenance directly to clients, or on behalf of facility managers and agents.

Landscape maintenance
The company operates in a variety of sectors including: commercial, retail, construction, defence, health, education and local authorities. For existing estates they provide planned preventative maintenance to single and multiple sites. The maintenance regimes are optimised to provide value and budgetary control appropriate to the amount of vegetation and public access profile.

Self management is a core tenant of the company, working to strict client agreed key performance indicators. Their ‘Real Time’ reporting system keeps clients advised on progress through a dedicated web-portal. Furthermore, independent auditors perpetually monitor quality, safety and environmental compliance. As an 18001, 9001, 14001 accredited company, successful operating systems are essential in delivering assistance to some 15,000 sites. Clients can benefit from the company’s economy scale and reduced carbon footprint.

Masters of ice
Taking the pain out of winter maintenance can be a huge relief. The company plan the logistics and muster resources to remove the stress and risk away from the client. Investing in self-service, which may not be required, may not be economically viable for most users.

During the 2010/11 season Ground Control delivered over 40,000 gritting visits using a fleet of gritting lorries, towable spreaders and hand spreaders. They maintained the equivalent of 25 days salt supply per site. Hugely reassuring when prolonged periods of cold weather can quickly diminish national stock availability and subsequent supply “freezes” that usually occur from government intervention.

Love your trees
‘Duty of care’ extends to the management of a much overlooked asset, your trees. WOODPLAN is Ground Control’s market leading mobile data capture software which records arborist observations and recommendations. GPS mapping and tree health risk analysis focuses finite resources on high risk trees. Effective Planned Preventative Maintenance (EPPM) can simply reduce the number reactive call outs.

Qualified arborists provide detailed reports, five year plans and budget costs. Ground Control carry out over £1.2 m worth of tree works every year, from formative pruning to felling. They also research council planning departments for Tree Preservation Orders/Conservation Area status, making applications on behalf of clients before carrying out work. They also check for nesting birds, roosting birds and protected understory flora/fauna.

Weed control
Japanese Knotweed presents a major cost if controlled just before developing a site. The company can inspect and treat prior to development. If growing on a building, they are able to apply herbicides using NPTC PA1 PA6 certificated operatives.

Construction
In-house chartered landscape architects work with Ground Control’s client’s architects, planners and quantity surveyors to provide innovative, living decorative finishes that enhance the working environment. A selection of low maintenance planting helps to reduce life time costs. Typical schemes include new builds, extensions and refurbishments.

Design and build is an option that is installed in over 200 soft and hard landscaping projects a year of varying size and complexity. The company has a range of award-winning installations including retail and business parks, schools and office complexes. Works include land modelling, drainage, tree and shrub planting, turfing, seeding, paving, street furniture and playground design.