This scheme was delivered through our Construction Works Framework (CWF) with Cumbria County Council. The scheme consisted of the removal of 24 existing dead or dying trees and the installation of 24 new trees in new tree Pits on Abbey Road, one of the main routes into Barrow in Furness. The footways were also upgraded to replace the paving and blocks destroyed by existing tree roots.

The works included extensive Traffic and Pedestrian Management schemes undertaken in three separate phases to minimise the disruption to the travelling public. The phases were planned to avoid the Christmas embargo to lessen the impact on the local economy.

Each separate tree pit required GPR and CAT surveys followed by hand dug trial holes to prevent damage to existing services. Vacuum excavation techniques were also used to avoid service strikes - the scheme was completed with Zero Service Strikes despite quite large excavations within the footways around multiple services including HV, Gas, Fibre Optics.

As a D&B scheme we specified the use of GreenBlue Urban’s Rootspace system. This modular system allows integration of existing services within the root ‘footprint’, provides a root barrier to prevent spread while providing an uncompacted soil cell, increased load bearing capacity.