Simon Odell - Landscape Institute

Infrastructure guidance updated

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 18:20:20 +0000

Lake Vyrnwy, a well-integrated civil engineering project (Photo Simon Odell, CMLI)

Well-designed and integrated infrastructure which responds to and enhances its surroundings can come to be celebrated for its contribution to the landscape. But the emphasis is on appropriate planning and design design.

Some infrastructure is predominantly underground, potentially limiting the effects it can cause during operation. Other elements can be large and permanent features protruding above the landscape, resulting in potentially widespread effects to the environment and communities. The construction, upgrading and decommissioning of infrastructure can also be disruptive and in the case of very large and complex projects, construction activity may extend over several years.

Integrating other objectives and functionality into infrastructure projects is nothing new but has become ever more important as pressure on space and project finances increases.

In support of this process, Technical Guidance Note 20-4 Infrastructure providing information to members, other professionals, clients, decision makers and stakeholders on the planning, design and management of infrastructure was soft-launched earlier this year. Under the patient leadership of Jon Rooney CMLI, it had been prepared by a group of landscape and other professionals working within the public and private sectors, supporting the delivery of major infrastructure projects in the UK and endorsed by the LI’s Technical Committee in the week ending 24th May 2020.

Some updates to the guidance have been made and a revised version has now been published; please use the latest version.

Simon Odell CMLI

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Oak Processionary Moth – urgent alert to report sightings of caterpillars and nests

Fri, 29 May 2020 16:00:21 +0000

What do landscape professionals need to do?

OPM is a notifiable pest. It is a health hazard to people and animals in contact with hairs of caterpillar. It weakens oaks through heavy defoliation contributing to long term decline of oaks, OPM increases the tree’s susceptibility to attack from other pests and reduces the tree’s resilience to drought and flood.

If you have you been involved in specifying or recently planting oak trees – all oaks except Quercus suber – then you must check these trees as soon as possible before July 2020
Identify the caterpillar
Report sightings of caterpillars and or nests to Tree Alert online portal

The scale of the problem

The following text appears on page 31 of APHA’s Annual Science and Evidence Review 2019, published on 2 June 2020:

‘The most significant event this year was an unprecedented Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) incident involving all parts of the UK Plant Health Service. This is a UK quarantine pest which causes defoliation of oak trees and hairs on its caterpillars also can cause major health issues to humans and animals. In June, through routine inspection the PHSI detected OPM on recently imported and planted trees from the continent in Southern England. Although this incursion was rapidly and effectively dealt with it quickly became clear that a significant numbers of infected trees had been imported across the UK. Because of the need to quickly trace all imports while their movement information was still fresh and the fact adult moth dispersal would occur from late July there was need to take immediate and decisive action. This led to setting up of an inter-agency UK Plant Health Service (PHS) Incident Management Team (IMT). As part of this APHA took responsibility for tracing investigations (with FC inspecting trees at landscaping locations), inspections at nurseries and on residential property in England and all inspections and action in Wales. This lead to APHA investigating over 2,100 tracing lines stemming from 1,000 consignments and the whole PHS inspecting over 50,000 trees. In total 98 premises in the UK were identified resulting from 156 tracing lines supplied by 28 different Dutch, Belgium [sic] and German suppliers.’

APHA Annual Science and Evidence Review 2019

Increased numbers last year plus hot and dry conditions this spring may well result in a further spread of OPM populations.

OPM is established in London and surrounding areas, but the majority of the rest of the country is a designated Protected Zone (PZ). There are also PZs in mainland Europe. Within the Protected Zone (and in UK) there are restrictions on movements of oak plants to minimise spread of pest.

All imported oak trees into England and Wales now require plant passports, and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) must be notified in advance about all oak (trees, plants and/or seed) imports.

Plant Health and Biosecurity Working Group, 28 May 2020

Remember to be mindful and adhere to current safety guidance if conducting site visits and/or fieldwork during the COVID-19 pandemic. See TGN 02/2020 – Site Visits and Fieldwork During the COVID-19 Pandemic for more information.

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Views sought on seven design principles for temporary highway infrastructure

Tue, 19 May 2020 07:00:39 +0000

On Saturday 9 May, the Department for Transport published ‘Reallocating road space in response to COVID-19: statutory guidance for local authorities‘. These instructions to highway authorities promote the reallocation of road-space to encourage walking and cycling. Their aim is to relieve pressure on roads and public transport, and to enable social distancing on pavements.

In response, the Landscape Institute’s Technical Committee has developed a draft technical guidance note, Seven Design Principles for temporary highway infrastructure, for consultation. We are keen to get further input to these draft principles from members and fellow professional bodies.

The aesthetic of the street influences how drivers, cyclists and pedestrians behave in that street. This in turn can have a dramatic effect on speeding, traffic collisions, and the severity of injuries. Streets have many functions other than movement; high streets are trying to open safely to support economic recovery. Space will be needed for people to queue, and cafes and shops may trade out-of-doors to reduce virus transmission risks. Many people will have to walk further and stand in queues. Increased seating provision will make journeys possible for large numbers of people that would not otherwise be able to remain independent.

Landscape architects have a primary role in the design of our public realm and that includes streets and spaces in urban areas. The aims of the Seven Design Principles are to:

ensure proposals consider non-movement functions; and
help members challenge potential over-engineering, which may be an inefficient use of resources and can incite bad driving behaviour

The guidance note has initially been drafted for England, but we are of course keen to make it relevant to all regions of the UK; so would in particular welcome input from experts and regulators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We would also be keen to hear from anybody willing to endorse the final publication.

The consultation draft of Seven Design Principles for pop-up highway infrastructure is available here. Please forward any comments to technical@landscapeinstitute.org by Sunday 31 May 2020.

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LI seeks copy-editors and technical authors to assist with technical information and guidance

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 08:00:09 +0000

The LI would to draw up a list of potential technical authors, ideally with professional copy-editing skills, to assist with the production and revision of its technical notes.

In due course, the LI will invite quotes for completing new technical notes or amending existing technical notes under the oversight of Technical Committee. These notes could be informational or of a guidance nature.

Over the coming weeks, the LI expects to begin work on at least three significant technical guidance notes (TGNs). Providers will need to produce well-developed guidance on topics including:

photography and photomontage
residential visual amenity assessment
watering

The LI may also invite quotes for reviewing and updating existing technical notes.

Authors will be required to work under the direction of the relevant sub-committee, and editorial control will remain with the Technical Committee (via the LI’s technical standards manager). The LI reserves the right to refer outputs to its in-house editorial team if it appears that this is still necessary.

Who should apply?

Those seeking to be on the list should be capable of good-quality writing, grasping the likely technical content, able to work within tight timeframes, and accept instructions from the Technical Committee.

While technical authors and editors will be free to promote to others their previous involvement in finalising guidance, it is not currently intended to name them on guidance documents themselves.

Are you interested?

In the first instance, please email technical@landscapeinstitute.org, including the subject line ‘Technical author’ or ‘Technical author and copy-editor’ (depending on the services you or your practice would like to offer). Please include your preferred contact details.

If there is a large response, we may contact you again to narrow down your areas of interest. Otherwise, you will be included in the invitation to quote as and when draft documents are at the appropriate stage.

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