Coventry in Bloom Review

JUDGES PORTFOLIO 2008

CONTENTS

04. Welcome

05. Section A I Floral displays

13. Section B I Permanent landscaping including shrubs

19. Section C I Local Agenda 21 and Sustainable Developments

23. Section D I Local Environmental Quality

27. Section E I Public Awareness

JUDGES PORTFOLIO 2008

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Trinity Bed in Priory Row

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

04.

Coventry in Bloom 2008Welcome from Cllr Andy Matchet,Lord Mayor of Coventry

“Coventry’s entry this year is aculmination of the efforts of variousorganisations including CoventryCity Council, CV One, WhitefriarsHousing Group and also localcommunity groups across the city.

All have worked together inpartnership with the single aim ofcreating and maintaining a citywhich blooms all the year round.

The environment they live in meansa lot to the people of Coventry, sowe will continue in our joint effortsto provide a cleaner, greener andattractive city – not only for itscitizens, but also for the manyvisitors who come to our great city each year.

Many dedicated and committedpeople have worked with a greatsense of pride, as well as a lot ofhard work, to be involved in theHeart of England in Bloom, 2008 project.

I would like to thank them alland also wish them ‘Good Luck’in their bid for gold.”

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

WELCOME

SECTION AFLORAL DISPLAYSCoventry`s colourful flowerbeds and open spaces are important in leaving apositive, lasting impression to the many visitors to the city, providing a wide variety of diverse floral displays and multi-cultural planting to accommodate anybusinesses or residential spatial in and around Coventry. This year we are proud tobe celebrating our Roots in History, and are reflecting these monumental phasesthroughout Coventry’s fascinating heritage by utilising the green spaces to presenta wide variety of planting and colour to enrich and build on our community spirit.

SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS 05.

Coventry has always ensured thatits complementation of colour andlandscaping projects make alasting impact on both itsresidents and businesses alike,and with a continued focus onplanting delightful, seasonalcontainer selections andsustainable beddingdevelopments, particularly aroundthe city centre, the colourfulbloom this year has been used tosuccessfully enhance the buildingsand architecture that makes up the city’s heritage design.

Plants are sourced locally, from Leasowes Nursery, which ismanaged by the Council andcertain exotic plants, such asagave, canna and palms arechosen to create a Mediterraneanstyle, together with seasonalbarrier troughs along the eastern

arterial route through the city. Central reservation barrier troughsare planted up with speciesadapted to meet the requirementsof the harsh winds and hottest sun traps, with exotic plantingsincorporated into the schemesalong with gravel, sand, cobblesand slate. Regular grass cuttingand litter picking activities ensurethat these roadside areas aremaintained all year round.

Hardy and good quality plants are selected to help define hardlandscaped areas, and add avarying amount of colour, value for money and coverage for the location. Self dead-headinggeraniums that require little waterhave been chosen for hangingbaskets and planters to minimisethe need for maintenance andfrequent watering.

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06. SECTION A. FLORAL DISPLAYS

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The containers and hangingbaskets over our bustling streetsare there to help to enrich andenhance our commercial andbusiness sites, with long trailingplants and colourful petuniasselected for the most effectivemeasure of display. We also ensurethat our containers and basketscontain water reservoirs, allowingplants to survive and prosper in thefull glare of the sun, with twice-weekly watering.

Floral beds in Greyfriars Green usewater feeding systems that dripfeed the plants every evening,reducing the amount of water usedbut providing a suitable growingenvironment for the bloom displays.This year, to celebrate Roots inHistory, we have enriched ourGreyfriars site with a helter skelterfloral design, watch bed and ribbon site.

By 1860, nearly a hundredwatchmakers 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.


Helter Skelter bed Greyfriars Green

As part of our continualcommitment to providing Coventrywith summer displays throughoutthe entire season, our featuredisplays 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 CommercialThroughout Coventry manybusinesses and commercialpremises have supported orsponsored many floral displays,baskets and planters in and aroundtheir locations, with a wide varietyof floral contributions.

Browns Bar in the city centre has acolourful array of flowers in largeplanters, appreciated by theconsumer and the community as they indulge in morning cakeand coffee.

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

Even the suburbs of Earlsdon andCheylesmore are getting involved in the community planting. Manybusinesses have contributed totheir own water feeding systems,conserving water usage andboosting the quality of the floral displays.

Visitors arriving in the city by buswill be welcomed by many flowersin planters outside the entrance ofPool Meadow bus station and also barrier troughs near to theBritannia hotel.

At Coventry Railway Station astrong partnership has beenestablished with Virgin Trains overthe past three years. This yearthere is a drought resistant bedoutside the station, four floral bedson the platform, and the greeting‘Welcome to Coventry’ has beencreated to sit on the steep bank. To create each letter, flowers areencased in 3D steel frames so that the flowers do not move out of position.


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Over 28 local businesses have alsosponsored roundabouts in the cityso far this year. Good examples arethe Orchard Park roundabout andthe Central Six shopping centre.There is also evidence ofcommitment to supporting theBloom campaign on islands atExtra Care Charitable Trust,University of Warwick Science Park, Clifford Bridge Road andlandscaped islands in Cross PointBusiness Park and Junction 5 ofthe ringroad, near Mile Lane andNew Union Street.

Residential Front GardensThis year the residents in Coventryhave responded in huge numbersto various campaigns and initiatives to improve, develop and sustain

their front gardens and balconyareas. By taking part in variousactivities around Coventry indesigning their own garden space,residents are fully dedicated injoining together as a community tochallenge and support one anotherin their attempts at plantingcolourful, artistic displays.

Vicroft Court spent a day plantingup their front gardens, togetherwith CV One, Co-Op and EnglishLandscapes to regenerate the areawith successful planting schemesand maintenance. Hanging basketshave also been supplied for theresidents of Starley Road, withextra planters and hanging basketsadded to support them and their love for gardening andcommunity spirit.

All residents in the city have been invited to enter a gardencompetition that has beensupported by the CoventryTelegraph. There are prizes fordifferent categories, with an overallprize selected by the readers.Whitefriars residents, who live in thecity’s largest stock of housing sites,are encouraged to enter their ownannual residents’ gardencompetition. This has been runningfor over sixty years and includescategories for front and backgardens, balconies, communalareas and individual plantings.Awards are also given for novices,retired people and overallchampion.


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Residents’ groups have also madespecial efforts in support of theHeart of England in Bloomcompetition. Styvechale residentsheld an Open Gardens Day in mid-June where 16 gardens were opento the public and money collectedfrom the sale of tea and cakes was donated to the local hospice.

A resident in Capmartin Road gotin touch wanting to support thecompetition by having made a dullrear entry to a number of propertiesa more cheerful place by plantingand maintaining a rambling rose.

Community InvolvementWhitefriars Housing Group (WHG)organised an annual educational

competition for schools called“How does your garden grow?”This year WHG invited 12 localschools from Nursery, Receptionand Year 1, to encourage them tobe the citizens of tomorrow byappreciating the environment andgetting interested in the garden andall things green. To help get themstarted each school was given astarter pack consisting of variousitems including: plants, bulbs,seeds, tools, watering cans,curriculum lined books, a saplingtree and a disposable camera sothey could photograph their work.The schools were free to use thecontents in isolation, as part oflessons or add them to any existing project. Children are alsoencouraged to take part in the

annual resident’s gardencompetition by planting sunflowersand decorating plant pots.

Neighbourhood Wardens have builtup a good relationship with localresidents and they have workedtogether on many projects. A pondarea in Tanyard Farm wasvandalised through having hadpolystyrene foam from a buildingsite emptied into it and set on fire.Wardens worked with residentsand contacted the EnvironmentalCrime Unit at the Council who used their powers to make the land owner clear the site.

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Wardens also worked with PoliceCommunity Support Officers(PCSOs), the Guinness Trust, alocal farmer and 17 youths to clearlitter in the Tanyard Farm area. The youths helped fill a skip afterclearing the area and learnt a lotabout community spirit and being a good neighbour.

Community involvement isencouraging - with residents, the Council and other partnerorganisations working together to make the city a colourful andthriving place to live, work and visit. People In Action is a daycare facilityfor adults with learning disabilitieswho help our maintenance teamsaround Coventry.

Trustees from Fords Hospital Almshouse have completed workon the medieval walled communalgarden as part of their involvementin the Bloom campaign.


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Barrs Hill planting Trinity Street

Activities at Sherbourne FieldsSpecial School, Templars School,Whoberley School and Barrs HillSchool have all culminated theirefforts in making a difference to the spaces that they operate within.

Sherbourne Fields have been at thespearhead of a complete plotmakeover, with animal hutches,floral beds and community buildingprojects such as birdbox designtaking up much of their spare time.

Barrs Hill Specialist EngineeringCollege is celebrating its

100th anniversary, and as partof this monumental centenary, tookpart in a spectacular planting daynear Trinity Church in Coventry, toroot their spot in history. By joiningforces with English Landscapes, the children will be planting variousfloral blooms by the side of animpressive guild badge designed as part of the Trinity Bed structure.This amazing, eye-catching bed is a result of our roots in history, andsupporting the local schools and communities in making adifference to our city.


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SECTION BPERMANENT LANDSCAPINGINCLUDING SHRUBSOver 900 hectares of parks, open spaces, woodlands and allotments located over450 sites are managed by the Council, CV One and Whitefriars. The core aim is toprovide all residents of Coventry with access to a public park or green space forrelaxation or play, within a reasonable distance from their home. Across the city,these sites are being regularly maintained to a high standard, and wheneverpossible, new landscaping and planting is taking place.

SECTION B. PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS 13.

14. SECTION B. PERMANENT LANDSCAPING INCLUDING SHRUBS

Local Authority/ Bloom GroupThe War Memorial Park is one ofthe city’s most visited parks andincludes a variety of shrubs andfeatures, including a sunken gardenand one of the largest collections ofcopper beech trees in the country.A heritage lottery bid has beensecured to restore the park to the days of its former glory byreinstating many of the formalgarden features that have been lost over time with the addition ofimproved public facilities. Createdin the 1920’s as a lasting memorialto all those who gave their lives inthe First World War, Coventry’s WarMemorial Park now stands on thethreshold of major restoration.

On the back of a £2.8 millionHeritage Lottery grant and match-funding from the Council, workbegins next year to improve visitorfacilities and restore the horticulturaland landscape beauty of the city’s

premier park. Plans for the 50hectare park include the restorationof theme gardens and ornamentalfeatures, new tree planting, playingfields improvements and ecologicalenhancements to give one area a‘country park’ feel. A ‘Friends ofthe War Memorial Park’ group isworking with the Council anddesigners to create a park thatCoventry can be proud of, in timefor the 100th anniversary of theGreat War in 2014. The park is also home to several of Coventry’smost successful festivalsincluding Godiva.

Coombe Country Park containsmany types of permanentlandscaping for visitors to enjoy,including woodland, lakes, formalgardens, wildflower meadows andalso a wildlife area and heronry.These are further enhanced byseasonal floral displays. Coombe isalso fully established in the growthof its landscaping schematics,facilities and conservation habitats.

To enhance the appearance ofopen spaces in the city, parks andgrass verges are cut every tendays. Ornamental hedges aretrimmed two or three times eachyear, with field hedges trimmedannually. The AllotmentsAssociation is also liaised withregularly to tidy up the allotmentsand make them appealing toprospective gardeners.

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School grounds are visited regularlywith grass areas cut every tendays, pitches marked out weeklyand horticultural services (shrubpruning, bed maintenance etc)undertaken when necessary.

A new square is being planned inthe city centre that has involvedpublic consultation. The designincludes an avenue of liquid amberstyraci flua trees and lots ofplanters with new benches and asuitable piece of public art for thesquare to provide a place forworkers and shoppers to relax.

24 roundabouts have beenupgraded around the city to datewith around 28 of them sponsored.Investment in traffic islands lastyear was almost £70,000, withsome companies sponsoring morethan one island. All islands aresponsored by local businesses,with five committing to sponsoringimprovements and maintenance ona two or three year basis. Variouscar parks in and around the citycentre are adorned with low

maintenance landscaping of variousshrubs and grass areas; woodenplanters containing acers adding a wide variety of colour, offering aconsiderable lift amongst the sixtiesbuilding designs. Belgrade Plaza in particular has a vast array ofshrubbery and subtle leaf plantingin a modern landscaped area. The Magistrates Car Park is alsoaligned with greenery in the form of beech, acer and deciduousplantings.

Lady Herbert’s Garden

Commercial PremisesSeveral business parks andcommercial centre across the cityenjoy well-maintained landscapedareas creating a pleasantenvironment for all that work andvisit here. Many businesses atWestwood Business Park haveextensive landscaping andsustainable planting, such asshrubs and perennials that giveyear round colour. Barclays Bank isan excellent example and has alake surrounded by trees andshrubs in the centre of their officecomplex. This provides not only ahaven for workers during a busyday, but also for local wildlife. TheCoventry Business Park has manyattractive permanent landscapefeatures including a roundaboutsponsored by Deeley Propertiesthat is situated next to their newHead Office.

Gallagher Retail Park and the ArenaPark have also been designed withborders and large planterscontaining easily maintainableshrubs giving colour during thewinter as well as the summer.These include pyracantha,mahonia, cordyline and phormium.

The Herbert has also been at theforefront of a massive outdoorregeneration scheme, with the foyerarea at the back of the Herbertsoftly transformed with aMediterranean polish. Lightlycoloured Olive trees, shrubs andtidy verges generate an almostexotic ambience to an otherwiseidealistic quiet zone. Otherplantings involve bamboo andlavender, along with benches and hitherto unseen reconciliationmemories attached to this plot.

An ornamental bed planted withnectar rich plants to encourage

bees and butterflies surrounds theRegistry Office. A bridge crosses apicturesque bog garden usingwetland plants that provide athriving haven for wildlife in the citycentre as well as a backdrop formarried couples’ photographs.

On the outskirts of the city, CanleyCrematorium gardens create apeaceful and tranquil setting for thebereaved. It has four formalgardens: the rose garden, theseasonal area, the formal pondarea and the English woodlandarea. A children’s garden has beenadded that has seasonal floraldisplays alongside more permanentshrubs and has appropriatebenches with sculptures of teddybears and ducks as part of thelandscaping. London RoadCemetery has also had around 12trees and 1,500 shrubs planted toimprove the entrance and viewfrom the main road.


Westwood Business Park


Residential AreasCoventry has over 350,000 treesand almost one fifth of these are inresidential areas. Wherever possibletrees that need to be removed are replaced with an appropriatespecies to suit the localenvironment. Ornamental speciesare often used as they have asmaller canopy and often with theadditional benefit of providing prettyblossom in the spring. If there issufficient space, large broad-leavedspecies will also be planted.

In the last 12 months over 100unsuitable trees have beenreplaced all over the city inresidential areas including: SewallHighway (34), Harefield Road (32),Clovelly Road (16), Bulls Head Lane

(10), Stoneleigh Avenue (8) andShirley Road (7). On SewallHighway hard surfacing has beenadded to grass verges and pavinghas been added near roundabouts.This has meant that effectiveparking has been provided whilstretaining grass and trees.

A new housing development on theeast side of the city that includessome Whitefriars housing has beenplanned with low maintenance inmind, and sustainable planting thatlifts the area and helps blend thedevelopment into the neighbouringwoodland.

One of the busiest roads in the city, the Ansty Road, mainly dualcarriageway in most stretches can

be difficult to maintain with some ofthe grass central reservations. Toimprove the local area, a trial ofartificial ‘Tiger Turf’ has been usedon one stretch of the main road.This has been a successful visualimprovement to overlong grass, orclosing a lane of traffic to cut thegrass or even laying tarmac, and iscompletely maintenance free.

Eight roundabouts in residentialareas have been upgraded aroundthe city since last year to improvethe local environment and havebeen landscaped with structuralcomponents, year round colour,with minimal maintenance andsustainability in mind.

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Community Involvement Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (WWT)has worked with local residentsgroups and other organisations ona number of projects in Hillfields toimprove the surroundings. The EastStreet Pocket Park, also known asWeavers Walk, was transformedinto a play area (incorporating awildlife garden for creatures andinsects, as well as wild flowers togrow) from a piece of disused andneglected land. Four recycling binsand a mosaic were created bycommunity arts organisation, Arts Exchange, and local schoolchildren. The entrances to the parkare based on the history of the area- Pennyfarthing cycles and Singersewing machines, bothrepresenting the Roots in Historytheme for this year’s competition.

WWT and residents from thenearby flats, worked closely withthe Groundwork team and alandscape architect LouiseKovarovic, to create a ‘One WorldGarden’. Funding was securedfrom Your Neighbourhood Matters,and the Council granted permissionto build the garden on a nearbypatch of neglected land that was a site for alcohol abuse and flytipping.

This year the Council’s landscapesteam are offering students studyingHorticulture BTEC National

Diplomas at Moreton MorrellAgricultural College the chance toundertake summer placements. For18 weeks from May to Septemberthey are working in three core areasat the War Memorial Park, CoombeAbbey and on the public golfcourses gaining an insight into both the care of fine turf as well as traditional landscaping and gardening.

A local voluntary group has workedtirelessly to recreate the Georgiankitchen garden in Allesley Parkwalled garden. The group issteadily restoring it to the dayswhen it supplied fruit andvegetables for the hall’s owners and servants. The walled gardenvolunteers organise educationalevents and activities in the gardento celebrate its history.

Jardine Crescent, a more deprivedarea in the city, is being landscapedwith 240 shrubs, six trees, and4,200 bulbs and having footpathimprovements. Local schools andresidents are helping to providecommunity art and interpretiveboards.

The Colchester and WinchesterStreets Flowerbed Improvementproject was part-funded by theBritish Trust for ConservationVolunteers (BTCV). Local residentsgroup, the Singer ResidentsAssociation, initiated the project

and the funding allowed the Trustto work with them to purchasetools and a tool store, to delivertraining and to plant smaller andmore colourful plants to make the streets feel safer and moreattractive to both people and wildlife. The project involvedchildren from Southfield PrimarySchool, the Gardening Club andNeighbourhood Wardens. As aresult of their involvement with theFlowerbed Improvement project,the Singer Residents Associationwere named Best CommunityGroup in the West Midlandsby BTCV.

Vicroft Court was one example of community interaction, along with Sherbourne Fields School, where not just floral beds wereimplemented, but a brand newlandscaped area for the children,including a rabbit hutch run, brandnew open green lawn space and atree bark pathway.

Other activities in Coventry includeallotment maintenance, schoolground regeneration and teambuilding, a commitment to plantingmore trees in the suburbs ofCoventry, and an educational tourof the new Herbert centre, whereyoungsters can interact with the all-new Jungle Experience.

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SECTION CLOCAL AGENDA 21 ANDSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTCoventry demonstrates an increasing commitment and emphasis on sustainabilityin everything, and the way the urban environment is managed is no exception. Lastyear, the Leader of the Council created a new cabinet portfolio of Climate Change,Housing and Sustainability after signing up to the Nottingham Declaration onClimate Change in 2006. Residents have been consulted on the city’s draft ClimateChange and Sustainability action plan and the policy is being shaped followingresidents’ comments.

SECTION C. LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 19.

20. SECTION C. LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Management of naturalareas and educationalprogrammesCoombe Country Park sits on theeastern side of the city and is oneof its greatest assets, attractingvisitors from not only the city but all over Warwickshire as aneducational resource. It is one ofthe city’s most historic sites anddue to the management of the parkit is a designated Site of SpecialScientific Interest (SSSI) and wasalso awarded Green Flag status in2007. The park includes awildflower meadow, heronry andheritage oak woodland with naturewalks and formal gardenscontaining seasonal flower displaysand topiary. There is also a visitorcentre that gives information aboutwildlife in the park and rangers arealso on hand to offer assistanceand help manage the park. Birdwatchers can visit the park’s birdhides to enjoy spotting herons,nuthatches and greenwoodpeckers.

Coombe Country Park was also thevenue for a three day educationalevent, ‘2008 and Beyond’ with over40 Coventry schools taking part.The children took part inworkshops about fairtrade,composting, energy efficiency,recycling, biodiversity and othersustainability issues. Other schoolsin Warwickshire were also invited tocome along to the annual event.The current Cabinet Member forClimate Change, Housing andSustainability, volunteered his timeto be a group leader for a day andhelped the children get the mostbenefit out of the activities in the

given time. Sustainable woodlandmanagement is a key objective inthe city and active programmes ofcoppicing, glade creation, pondclearing, path improvements andbridge construction have beenundertaken with the help of BritishTrust Conservation Volunteers.Pupils have also helped to preservethe local genetic identity of thetrees at Coombe by collecting andpropagating acorns from ancientoaks. Elkin Wood, an ancientbluebell wood, is being restored inpartnership with the WoodlandTrust to help people with limitedmobility, access areas more easily.Coundon Community Woodland isbeing restored with the help of alocal residents group and theCountryside Project by plantingmore trees and cultivating anadjoining wildflower meadow withimproved paths and drainage.

Longford Nature Park is beingdeveloped under a liveabilityprogramme and is another wildlifehaven that has large areasmanaged with biodiversity in mindalong with Coundon Wedgecountryside area and nature trail,Allesley Village nature reserve andSowe Valley Green Wedge.

Riverside and canal pathways are being improved with bettersurfacing, signage and access andstretches of the canal towpath havebeen regenerated and provide animportant habitat for breedingbutterflies, dragonflies andendangered water voles. In areassuch as Sowe Valley, Lake ViewPark and Longford Park,maintenance teams are trained tonot inadvertently destroy suitable

water vole and other wildlife habitatby going too close to the banks aspart of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan.

An ‘eco-schools’ programme hasbeen running in the city since 1995.The campaign is supported byEnCams, who encourage schoolsto be as environmentally friendly aspossible by educating children at all levels about wildlife in its naturalhabitat, the importance of recycling,keeping their local environment freefrom litter and save energy to helpreduce the effects of climatechange. There are now 68 schoolsregistered as eco-schools inCoventry. Sacred Heart PrimarySchool this year received the city’sfirst permanent Green Flag - thehighest award possible.

Many roadside verges have alsobeen sown with wildflower seeds to help preserve diminishing wildlife.Along stretches of the A45,poppies now flourish instead oftarmac or grass, which can be hardto maintain on busy stretches ofroad. Such areas are managed inmuch the same way that atraditional (low maintenance) haymeadow might have been manyyears ago, thus plants have achance to set seed before cutting,and the lack of chemical spraysallows a multitude of wild plants,insects and other animals to thrive.

Hedges have also been planted atStoke Heath and Holbrook Park toimprove or replace once existinghedges to provide a habitat for wildlife as well as being visually pleasing.

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SECTION C. LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 21.

Waste management andconservation of naturalresourcesCoventry diverts the largest amountof waste away from landfill than anyother council in England (based onlatest figures). Energy is recoveredfrom incinerating non-recyclablehousehold waste and sold to thenational grid.

Coventry residents recycled over25% of their domestic waste lastyear. This amount is set to increaseas plans are being made for amajor expansion of kerbsidecollection initiatives. The recyclingrate has more than doubled in thelast four years with over 19,000tonnes of waste recycled and over16,000 tonnes of wastecomposted.

Every house in the city receives akerbside recycling collection wherethey can recycle paper andcardboard. Every home with agarden also receives a gardengreen waste collection on alternateweeks. All of the green waste issent to a local farmer who convertsthe waste to soil improver, which isspread on land. Local soil improvertrials are also being conducted onCoventry’s allotments to investigatemaximising the efficiency of this

home grown resource. Greenwaste collected from around thecity’s parks is also recycled alongwith the remains of the seasonalplanters at Leasowes Nursery. Theend product is then used in anynew landscaping or plantingprojects carried out around the city.

An additional trial recycling schemefor glass, aluminium cans, andrecyclable plastic type HDPE wasestablished across 21,500 homesin 2006 has now been expanded.Coventry’s policy decision toreduce its carbon footprint by notsending plastics to the far east hasmeant finding a local processor in the UK. The trial has been verysuccessful and will continue to runwhile plans are being made toexpand it across the city. Residentsnot in the trial can also take thesetypes of waste to the civic amenitysite where there are specialcontainers to recycle these items or they can use any of the manybottle, paper and can banksaround the city.

The Sustainable City teamresearched the potential for using avariety of sustainable innovationsaround the city, such as introducing‘green’ turfed roofs on someproperties following consultationwith the public.

The team has already raisedawareness on the benefits ofsaving energy at work and at homethrough the ‘Switch it off’ campaignand will be working with a series ofcommunity groups and other localauthorities, in the annual ‘Switch itoff’ day. The team also worksclosely with some businesses in the region to help them improvesustainable practices and enhanceenvironmental standards. TheCabinet Member has also workedwith the team to consult the publicand businesses on phasing outplastic bags in the city.

All schools in the city have beenoffered a recycling service for paperand cardboard. They are alsooffered garden waste bins/compostbins where appropriate. Virtually allthe schools have taken up the offer of paper recycling. They areprovided with blue bins, a total of660 bins all clearly labelled up forpaper recycling or blue-liddedwheel bins or a Kappa bank,depending on the size of theschool and access.

Coombe Country Park Bird Hides

22. SECTION C. LOCAL AGENDA 21 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Children are very enthusiasticrecyclers and respond well to thechallenge to use the bins. Severalspecial schools are particularlyrenowned for the amount of paperthey collect and the enthusiasmwith which they collect it.Sherbourne Fields Special schoolchildren were encouragingresidents to recycle by offering aservice to decorate their recyclingbins and decorated their own binsin the school. School children alsotook part in compost making at the 2008 and Beyond event atCoombe Country Park.

All seedlings used in displays andlandscaping around the city arepropagated locally. This helpsreduce the environmental effects oftransportation and also any risks of bringing disease to plants in fromother areas.

Water conservation is veryimportant and has been taken intoaccount when planning the types of plants for displays and also inmethods of watering:

• Leasowes Nursery uses a systemthat collects greywater from thegreenhouse roof to water all ofthe plants in the greenhouse andtunnels and there are also waterbutts at a number of locations in the city centre that collectrainwater to water the many flowers.

• An effective, electronic, timedwatering system is also used in Broadgate to drip feed thehanging baskets with the correctamount of water they need and at a time that there will be lesswater evaporation.

• A new bed at the railway stationwas constructed with waterconservation in mind.

Many parts of the city areundergoing regeneration and withthis comes the opportunity to planin pocket green space. This notonly provides homes for wildlife andvaluable visual relief in an urbanenvironment but also helps reducethe ‘heat island’ effect where localtemperatures can be raised touncomfortable levels if greenery isabsent. These green spaces, suchas the pocket park on the corner of Hill Street and also by the Toy Museum, assist with floodmanagement considering thepredicted effects of climate change.

The Urban Rangers carry outenvironmental improvements andclean-up operations of the canaland other local green spaces everyweek. This involves teams of localvolunteers from a wide range ofcultural backgrounds joining forcesto improve their own localenvironment.

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SECTION DLOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYThe city has a co-ordinated approach to keeping the city safer, cleaner andgreener. 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 sameprinciples. With several leading initiatives and the latest technology invested in tohelp continue its efforts in local environmental quality, 2008 is looking like it couldbe one of the best years yet for the city of Coventry.

SECTION D. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 23.

24. SECTION D. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

This year Coventry is investing in anew ultra low volume sprayingsystem for weed control calledManakar, in the city centre.Coventry is one of the first cities inthe country to use this system, andit is hoped to reduce chemicalinputs and labour costs comparedto conventional knapsack and CDAspraying methods. In the pavedareas of the city centre, weeds areeradicated by spraying them withGlyphosate on a clear day with nowind. English Landscapes cleaningand greening staff are alsoencouraged to pull out any weedsfrom planters and along hardlandscaped areas as part of theirgeneral maintenance routines.

In the city centre new posters thatpose topical questions have goneup, reducing gum being droppedon the floor. A new initiative calledMiraclean 1 machine, is being usedto tackle environmental stains. Thesystem works by mixing water and

a citrus based solution to removefixed-on chewing gum from thestreets. By using the very latest inenvironmental and biodegradablesubstances, the Miraclean 1 turnsthe stain into a pliable material, and disintegrates it, allowing theoperator to remove any form ofgum in heavy footfall areas.

All the statues in Coventry citycentre including the Godiva Statue,Coventry Boy, Thomas White,James Starley, Coventry Cross and Peeping Tom are all regularlycleaned with a special low pressurecleaning treatment.

The Council recently agreed toincrease the fine for dog foulingand littering, to £75 (from £50) as agreater deterrent. Animal Welfareofficers patrol park areas onbicycles to help them get around quickly.

Animal Welfare officers alsoeducate dog owners aboutresponsibility in evening classes at Coventry schools, and annuallyholds ‘Canine Capers’ – a funevent which helps bring themessage to a wider audience, and involves the community.

Smoking in public spaces has beenbanned for over a year, but officersfrom the Environmental Healthteam continue to work withbusinesses and the public to helpeducate them to reduce smoke-related litter. Free ‘stubbies’ weregiven out to the public in the citycentre for their cigarette butts.

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SECTION D. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 25.

During last year we continued toprogress with the ‘Don’t dump it’project, which enabledNeighbourhood Wardens to report flytipping instantly. This has reducedthe amount of time fly tipping was lefton the street, and reduced the levelof ‘copycat’ fly tipping. The wardenswork with the public, and otherorganisations, to clean up areas thatcould be potentially dangerous to thecommunity. A mobile working project,where wardens can post advisorycards where they find waste ingardens, has also been created. Ifthe cards are not acted upon areferral is made to the EnvironmentalCrime Unit and a legal notice isissued to make the land ownerremove the waste. Since April thisyear, 145 notices have been servedwith three prosecutions, resulting in£600 in fines, and £1,545 in costs.

Coventry City Council takes a strongline against fly tipping and continuesits policy to prosecute offenders

whenever possible. Since April 2007,there have been 11 successfulprosecutions in court for fly tipping,with fines totaling £3,345 and £2,813in costs. A formal caution was alsoissued for a fly tipping offence, alongwith a successful prosecution for twotrade waste offences.

Work to target waste in gardens hasalso been successful. Last year therewas 448 notices served (an increaseof 53 compared to the previousperiod) with 11 prosecutions. Finestotalled £2,500 and with £4,144awarded in costs.

Since April 2007 ‘duty of care’leaflets have been delivered to 515businesses. 78 have had receivedfollow-up visits, of which 49 weresatisfactory, 20 produced smallamounts of waste (and have beenadvised to obtain commercial binbags) and nine businesses weretargeted for formal action.

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26. SECTION D. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Whitefriars Housing Group (WHG)takes an active part in the ‘impact’days with other agencies such asCoventry City Council, Police, FireService, and community groups.WHG was responsible for theremoval of graffiti and bulk wastefrom Willenhall (twice) and Hillfields.They also spent over £50,000 froman environmental improvementbudget on projects across the citysuch as the renovation of old playareas, removing and replantinghedges, also replanting shrub beds and turfing areas to reduceanti-social behaviour.

In the New Deal for Communities(NDC) areas there are new grassedareas, benches, litter bins andtrees. WHG also have aprogramme to remove diseasedtrees on their property across thecity. For example in Almond TreeAvenue, in Bell Green, theyremoved a dead tree and re-planted two Almond trees.

WHG staff and their contractorsuse a contact herbicide “round up”on the estates to eradicate weeds,applying it between four and sixtimes a year. The grass is cut every10 to 12 days on the estates, andevery 8 to 10 days in shelteredhousing. An in-house team

pressure-washes the bulk bins atproperties across the city, alsosweeping areas such as car parks,garage sites, tenant communalareas and rear drying areas.

Coventry has over 170 locationswhere people can recycle. Themajority of facilities are whereresidents, especially non-car users, can easily access them. All community recycling centreswere located following consultationwith the local residents. It was feltthat if residents were involved in the decision-making process, the recycling centres would be used more.

Full recycling centres can also befound at all the major supermarketsand other larger sites. Before newrecycling banks are sited for thecommunity they are coated in antiflyposting paint. Older previouslysited banks have also beenrepainted in anti vandal paint togive a uniform look to all recyclingbanks. Key recycling centres aresometimes cleaned every day withless busy centres being cleansedweekly. Crews are sent out to cleanany waste that has been reportedas dumped around recycling sitesto keep the area clean.

Across the city, maintenance ofstreet furniture, such as litter bins,is taking place all year round.Outside the Herbert Art Gallerypanels have been erected at thegap site to create a colourfulscreen next to the main entrance.At IKEA plaza, panels have beenused to communicate messages tothe public about the environmentalcampaigns and schemes set up to help promote the city.

Five ‘talking’ CCTV units have beeninstalled across the city centre thathave security cameras fitted withspeakers. They are used effectivelyto direct warnings against peopleacting in nuisance way.

Street furniture around the city,such as lamp posts and junctionboxes have been coated with aspecial textured anti-fly postingpaint, with the Councilimplementing new posting policies and licensing acts.

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SECTION EPUBLIC AWARENESSFor this year’s theme, Roots in History, Coventry in Bloom is continuing to buildstrong connections between our famous heritage and culture, binding us to that of strength and prosperity. With the support from Coventry’s bustling economy, andthe reinforcing statements and artwork of one city, one vision, our public awarenesshas strengthened tenfold this year with various campaigns and activities.

SECTION E. PUBLIC AWARENESS 27.

MarketingThe promotional push used forthis year’s campaign was drivenby the Bloom taxis that both CV One and the Councilinvested in. Alongside thesefantastic motor vehicles was anextensive and broad campaignincorporating outdoor media and electronic street broadcasts,posters and signs, flyers andwebsite material. Along CroftRoad next to the main IKEAdevelopment, we have alsomade sure that we are heavilypromoting the efforts ofeveryone involved by waving the flags of heritage and historythrough its defining roots, tosupport Coventry’s entry into this year’s Heart of England in Bloom.

Another successful formula forthe 2008 design is the brandedsignage on flowerbed displaysand islands around the city,further promoting the campaignwith material through bus shelterposters situated on Trinity Streetand posters at the RailwayStation. Car parks and roadsideshave also been allocated postersites, and litter bins and streetbroadcasts also highlight our fullcommitment to the cause.

We have received enormoussupport for the CV One websiteto support the Coventry inBloom campaign, and this wasdesigned and managed by CV One’s ICT Manager. It hascontinued to develop over thelast three years, becoming aninvaluable 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

28. SECTION E. PUBLIC AWARENESS

SECTION E. PUBLIC AWARENESS 29.

Publicity There has once again been aconstant and consistent flow ofarticles in the local press, on theradio and on the Internet. Theannual plant giveaway was locatedin the upper precinct in May 2008,and this was followed with threemore successful public campaignswith invited press with Barrs HillSchool receiving both print andtelevised coverage for its centenarycelebrations. Capmartin Road andSherbourne Fields School werealso featured.

CV One and English Landscapesalso had good responses from themedia and the public with their newMiraclean 1 machine, which wesubmitted as the new weaponagainst chewing gum removal onour streets. This new piece oftechnology is being used to cleansethe streets of Coventry, whilstensuring a safer, moreenvironmentally friendly place to live, visit and work.

Coventry City Council and CV Onealso combined their efforts tosupport the local CoventryTelegraph competition, which gaveus incredible presence with thereaders of this publication. As part of the official sponsorpackage, Coventry in Bloom raisedawareness of the Heart of Englandin Bloom campaign by joiningforces with the media to offer one lucky winner a chance to wingarden vouchers up to the value of £1,000.

Regular articles have also featuredin Citivision, the Council's ownnewsletter, which is delivered bi-monthly to every household in Coventry.

30. PUBLIC AWARENESS

THE ISLE CASINOENLIVEN

TUBS & TILESGFS CAR PARTS

ARCOSAINSBURY'S

MCCRANOR KIRBY HILLUNIVERSITY OF WARWICK SCIENCE PARK

BMI HEALTHCARESMITH’S NURSERIES

CHEAPEST TYRESLLOYDS PHARMACY

MY CARECASSIDY DEVELOPMENTS

EXTRA CARE CHARITABLE TRUSTDNA PAVING

BRINKLOW QUARRYDEELEY'SASTLEYS

TRAVIS PERKINSCPP MANUFACTURING (COV PROTOTYPE PANELS)

HARRIS SIGNSBARRS HILL BED

Sponsorship/Innovating This year Coventry in Bloom iscelebrating Roots in History, andalong with our continual focus onproviding our residents and visitorswith a visual splendour of colour anddesign, we also take careful measuresto ensure that our sponsored islandsand bedding are well maintainedthroughout the entire year. For 2008,we are delighted to be able to onceagain partner up with some of themost influential and integralbusinesses around Coventry,supplying us with both the supportand the belief in the Heart of Englandin Bloom competition. This goes someway to help achieve our overall goal ofassisting in the community and theeconomy by offering a wide variety ofvarying displays, colours, shapes andsizes 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, DNAPaving, Brinklow Quarry, Deeley's,Astleys, Travis Perkins, CPPManufacturing (Cov Prototype Panels)and Harris Signs are supporting thecause, and we are so proud to beable to work alongside them, and beable to fund the work carried out on some of our core advertisingpositions around the city.

By adding a real splash of colour to the city’s roads, businessescontinue to plough in support intoCoventry in Bloom by funding theirown signage and broadcasts, alignedwith the extensive work programmeswe have going on in and aroundCoventry to radically improve thelandscape around our residential,commercial and business areas.

This portfolio is based on the tremendous work ofthe employees, residents and businesses in Coventry.

A big 'thank you' to everyone for their efforts and continued support."

Cllr Andy MatchetLord Mayor ofCoventry

Liz MillettChief Executive, CV One

Howard FarrandChief Executive,Whitefriars Housing Group

Cllr Hazel NoonanCabinet Memberfor City Services

Documents

Coventry in Bloom Review