The first phase of development at York Central, an urban regeneration scheme, has received detailed planning approval from the City of York Council.
As well as delivering 1,000 new homes – at least 20% for social and affordable rent and sale – the scheme will create new public squares, an extensive public park and a network of courtyards, cycle ways and footpaths to connect this new quarter to the rest of the city.
Grant Associates has played a significant role in shaping the landscape and public realm strategy for the £2bn York Central regeneration.
Set on a 45-hectare brownfield site beside York railway station, York Central is being regarded as one of the UK’s most significant city-centre regeneration projects.
Peter Chmiel, director at Grant Associates, comments on the announcement:
“This approval is an exciting milestone for York Central and its future landscape vison of fostering a new community supported by a nature rich public realm . Central Park and Coal Drops Square will be at the heart of this remarkable site and new community, creating generous inclusive and active public spaces that connect people with the city, its railway heritage and each other.”
Construction will start on site next year following extensive site investigation works, which will begin imminently.
Housing secretary Angela Rayner says:
“York Central is a fantastic opportunity to transform derelict brownfield land into thousands of new homes, jobs, and green spaces, giving more people the chance to live and work in this great city. By unlocking one of the biggest regeneration projects in the country, we’re turning years of talk into action to drive growth in every region, raise living standards and build the homes communities desperately need.”
Midlands based commercial landscaping specialist Perennial Landscapes is entering its next phase of expansion and has announced the appointment of a new managing director to drive this growth.
Tony Cammiss has been appointed the new managing director and will oversee the strategic direction of the business, with a focus on sustainable growth, strengthening client relationships and investing in the people who continue to drive Perennial Landscapes’ success.
The appointment comes at a time of continued investment for the business, following several significant contract awards and an increasing demand for high-quality commercial landscaping solutions across sectors including industrial, logistics, healthcare, residential and commercial developments.
Cammiss says:
“I’m delighted to be joining Perennial Landscapes at such an exciting stage in its journey. The business has built an outstanding reputation for delivering quality projects and developing long lasting relationships with clients. I look forward to working alongside the talented team to build on these strong foundations, expand our reach and continue delivering exceptional landscapes across the UK.”
Thomas Holland, managing director of Perennial Landscapes, says:
“Cammiss’ appointment marks an exciting milestone for the business. As we continue to grow, his leadership and industry experience will help strengthen our offering while maintaining the values and high standards that our clients have come to expect. We’re excited about what the future holds.”
Pro Landscaper Business Awards 2026, in association with Paving Superstore, took place at Old Billingsgate in London on Friday 24 April 2026 where Elmtree Landscapes took home the title of Supreme Winner.
The awards were first launched in 2018 to recognise and celebrate the success of businesses within the landscaping industry. Businesses were awarded across 20 categories as well as Supreme Winner.
Elmtree Landscapes won in the Commercial Landscape Company and Grounds Maintenance Company categories as well as being crowned Supreme Winner.
Elmtree Landscapes said on social media:
“Winning the Supreme Award for the third time, and being the only company to have achieved this more than once, makes this even more special.
“A huge well done and thank you to our entire team. This is a reflection of the hard work, commitment and standards you deliver every day.”
Judges’ comments included:
“Strong all-round submission with clear staff development, client retention, evidence and good operational systems.”
“Their strong partnerships, effective use of technology and transparent financial recovery reflect a resilient and forward-thinking business.”
“Outstanding submission demonstration, exceptional client retention, strong social value and significant investment in staff development.”
“Elmtree are clearly supported by management, employees, customers, suppliers and collaborators – and give back to the industry in equal measure.”
With special thanks to this year’s partners, Pro Landscaper also extends its congratulations to all the winners and to those shortlisted.
Looking ahead to 2026, register your interest for next year’s Pro Landscaper Business Awards here.
Kim Morrish has stepped down from her role as a non-executive board member at Ground Control after 20 years.
She also leaves her role as lead of Ground Control’s Evergreen Fund. She initially led the search for and subsequent acquisition of Ground Control, alongside husband Simon.
In that time the company has grown from a small team to a major force within the industry. The company particularly credits her leadership abilities, such as during the acquisition of Tilhill in 2012, and for the expansion into utility arboriculture and rail.
“Kim’s impact has touched every corner of our business. Her leadership and insights have helped to build a supportive workplace, empowering us all to thrive,” says Jason Knights, managing director, in a statement to the Ground Control website.
“Her focus on sustainability and social responsibility has also helped define our company values, from launching the Evergreen Fund to securing B Corp and Carbon Neutral certification.
“It is with gratitude and sadness that we say goodbye to Kim and wish her all the best in her future endeavours. Her legacy as a force for good and her commitment to positive change will continue to inspire us all. Thank you, Kim, for everything you have done for Ground Control and for the many lives you have touched. Your legacy will remain a vital part of our journey.”
Last month Ground Control was shortlisted for the Business Impact Award for its work in tackling modern slavery.
An additional talk has been added to Public Spaces Expo panel, to discuss whether new contractors can succeed in the commercial sector, chaired by Wayne Grills from the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI).
Grills, chief executive at BALI will lead the panel in providing a practical perspective and how they have succeeded or discussing challenges they have faced, and will take place at 10am on Wednesday in the Public Spaces Theatre within the Public Spaces Expo.
The panel will feature the likes of: Ed Belderbos, MD at Belderbos Landscapes, Sharon Butler, director of Butler Landscapes, Mark Gregory, MD of Landform Consultants and Oliver Gregson, founder and director at Hardwood Landscapes.
The session aims to help inform other contractors considering developing this area of their business with the panel sharing their experiences. This will include an opportunity for audience Q&A.
Later on the same day, the new Procurement Act 2023 will fall under the spotlight, with a discussion on whether more needs to be done to modernise public sector procurement and enable better relationships between the client and the contractor.
This will follow on from the first day where the Public Spaces Expo will also see a panel discussing a major aspect of new developments: biodiversity net gain and the opportunities it can provide.
A panel including associate landscape architect Brian Hawtin of Huskisson Brown, Future Nature Consulting’s director Peter Massini and Arup’s UKIMEA nature leader Tom Butterworth will discuss the impact of the legislation over the last few months. They’ll be joined by Helen Simmen, head of research and development of Wildflower Turf, and Tunley Environmental’s biodiversity specialist and sustainability scientist Tara Garraty.
Tuesday will close with a panel discussion around sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) becoming mandatory.
Looking at commercial projects, Tivoli and Pro Landscaper have published a white paper examining what more can be done to ensure the future of public spaces.
It centered around eight key action points, formed as a result of a roundtable featuring eleven senior representatives from key stakeholder groups, chaired by Pro Landscaper on 12 July.
The full white paper can be downloaded here while you can secure a free ticket to Public Spaces Expo can be on its website.
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) warns of future difficulties but also lauded the potential opportunities in the report titled, ‘The Opportunity for Mechanisation and Automation in UK Environmental Horticulture.’
The research aims to summarise the scope of UK plant and tree production and show potential opportunities for researchers and providers of innovative new technologies to collaborate with the forward-looking environmental horticulture sector.
It also warns of the difficulties that lie ahead, while demand may be increasing due to the need to mitigate climate change and an ageing population, the availability of labour and inputs such as water, energy, and chemicals will not keep pace with demand.
The report includes sections focusing on environmental horticulture in the UK, growth potential for the sector and labour challenges, and technological solutions. There are also two case studies from HTA members, J & A Growers in Warwickshire and Hilliers Nurseries Ltd in Hampshire.
“The environmental horticulture industry is at a pivotal time of transition as we prepare ourselves for the future,” says Fran Barnes, HTA chief executive.
“With ambitious governmental environment targets, our sector needs support to evolve with technological advancements in order to help the UK reach its environmental goals.
“Our report shows the clear possibility of accelerating growth.”
While there is an increasing need for green infrastructure in the coming years to mitigate global warming the report warns that achieving this requires a significant upscaling in UK production of plants and trees.
Technology and mechanisation is also touched upon in the report, with it promising ways of expanding a company’s output but without necessarily expanding the labour bill.
A further challenge of this is ironing out exactly what and how processes could be automated so that the specialist knowledge from staff is being used in a more focused fashion.
Barnes adds: “As a sector, environmental horticulture isn’t alone in facing a rising wage bill and challenges in recruitment.
“Still, growers are increasingly looking to automate and mechanise to sustainably upscale production to meet this increased demand and ensure the Government can deliver on its challenging environmental targets.”
The report also touched upon ornamental plants and trees, with the direct impact of that sector affecting 18,000 people and indirectly affecting 30,000.
Barnes expands: “The UK’s growers produce ornamental plants and trees valued at £1.7 billion annually, enriching over 20 million gardens, parks, and green spaces, and demand is only set to rise.
“By investing in automation, innovation, and sustainable practices, we can meet this demand while addressing resource challenges such as labour, water, and energy.
“The HTA continues to support its members in gaining investment in new technologies to enable greater productivity, ensuring the UK has the strategic capacity to grow the plants and trees it needs in the future.”
The full report can be viewed online but elsewhere the HTA have reflected upon their experiences at the major political party conferences which have all taken place over the last few weeks.
Talasey has rolled out a new collection of slatted fencing, increasing the size of its Piranha range of responsibly sourced composite decking, fencing and cladding solutions.
The composite slatted fencing is an innovative new system that comes in three core colours: black carbon, brown cedar and antique grey, the first two have been available to order, the arrival of antique grey completes the collection.
A key feature of the slatted panels is that they fit perfectly into pre-existing concrete posts, meaning a hassle-free installation and they are available as dual-sided panels.
The slats are fully capped for additional protection, and each displays an enhanced slatted woodgrain finish on both sides.
“Composite decking, fencing and cladding solutions are growing in popularity for two main reasons: they look stunning and they will remain in peak condition as a key feature of any landscaping project for years to come because of their durability,” says Lavinia Dowson, product and training director at Talasey.
“Demand for composite products continues to grow, and the slatted fencing is the perfect complement to our decking and cladding ranges – especially because the availability of different colourways means that homeowners really can create incredible outdoor living spaces.”
The introduction of slatted fencing is an important addition to the Piranha range to meet growing demand for composite alternatives to the traditional timber options used for decking, fencing and cladding.
Makita has added two new disc cutters to its XGT range with the release of the 40VMax XGT CE003G and CE004G Disc Cutters.
Both are powered by Makita’s advanced XGT 40VMax battery system to deliver massive cutting depths and rapid cutting speeds.
The CE003G delivers a maximum cutting depth of 88mm at 6,600rpm while the CE004G offers a maximum cutting depth of 121mm at 5,000rpm.
With a 230mm and 305mm blade diameter respectively, and both designed to be extremely lightweight, they offer a powerful package to tackle any application with ease.
“The new additions from Makita are set to revolutionise cutting work on site,” says Kevin Brannigan, marketing manager at Makita UK.
“Both are powerful, yet easy to handle and designed with excellent safety features, to provide high speed, precise cutting suitable for a wide range of applications.”
The machines feature a rotating wheel guard which can be positioned to suit working posture. The anti-vibration housing with built-in damper spring helps to achieve an extremely low vibration rate at the left handle for each, at 3.0 m/s2 (CE003G) and 3.8 m/s2 (CE004G).
Furthermore, unlike petrol engine models, these cordless solutions start reliably, even in oxygen-deficient conditions, without any emissions or exhaust gases, making them suitable for use in any location.
To improve user safety, the machines feature active feedback sensors to shut down the tool in the event of kickback or a sudden slowing down of the blade rotation. They also have a safety lock-off button to prevent accidental start up and operators can also choose to connect a water supply to aid dust suppression.
Planning permission for a huge redevelopment on the site of the former Westferry Printworks in Tower Hamlets were granted on Wednesday, nine years after proposals were first submitted.
The permission being granted comes with conditions, chief among them being that £651.826 will be contributed towards construction phase employment skills training and £1,033,722 towards carbon emission offsetting.
The offsetting amount is based on a rate of £95 per tonne over a 30-year period and a further condition is that there must be a BREEAM excellent rating for all commercial units exceeding 500sqm in floor area.
With these measures, the energy strategy and sustainability measures incorporated into the development are considered broadly compliant with the London and Tower Hamlets local plans.
Northern & Shell, the developer for the project, says: “Building upon Northern & Shell’s roots within the print publications industry, Westferry Printworks will create hundreds of new jobs.
“In addition, it will be creating acres of high-quality, publicly accessible and semi-private open space on a previously disused, brownfield industrial site.
“Our vision is to transform the site to create a sustainable, safe, mixed use, waterfront neighbourhood.”
It will see 1,358 homes created, a secondary school for 1,200 pupils, 6164sqm of commercial space.
It is the third set of proposals submitted for the site since 2015 but work will start later this year and take seven years to complete across four phases.
Barratt Developments and Redrow have announced that they intend to complete their merger by the end of this week.
There is a concern from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) due to the proximity of two developments in Shropshire.
This was discovered after a phase one investigation into the deal, which was completed on 8 August.
Barratt however expect the deal to be completed within 18 months and upon completion will create one of the UK’s biggest housebuilding firm.
There are no country-wide concerns but the CMA found it could lead to raised prices and lower quality homes in the specific catchment area, although this is the only area out of more than 400 where the two companies overlap in an issue was found.
In a statement, Barrett Developments says: “Barratt and Redrow are continuing to engage with the CMA with the objective of agreeing suitable undertakings which would address the CMA’s limited concerns and avoid the need for a reference to a full Phase 2 investigation.”
There were also plans outlined for the merger, including: changing the name of the corporation to Barratt Redrow plc and Matthew Pratt will be appointed to the board of the Combined Group with the role of Chief Executive Officer, Redrow.
Nicky Dulieu and Geeta Nanda to the board of the combined group as non-executive directors, while Barbara Richmond will begin her role with the combined group as Redrow chief financial officer and will support the integration for a period of not less than 12 months following completion;
Women Into Construction ceased trading after 16 years on Thursday, with CBW Recovery appointed to manage its closure.
The not-for-profit organization suffered a tough year financially, with the economic climate for the charitable and construction sectors taking its toll.
It tried to find a solution to their resulting financial situation but ultimately concluded that their business model was no longer viable.
Kath Moore, managing director at Women Into Construction hopes that their legacy lives on through the people that they have helped.
Moore says: “Our work has transformed the lives of over 1300 women who now work in construction – and we know that this mighty army will continue to challenge and change the construction companies they now work in, alongside all their colleagues and supporters who have not only understood but embraced our message over the past 16 years.
“We wish to thank all our staff, our stakeholders, corporate members, delivery partners, programme clients and of course all the women we’ve had the joy to work with.”
The deadline to apply to join the board of the British Association of Landscape Industries is looming, with applications set to close by Wednesday.
The non-executive role will provide strategic and ethical direction and focus on collaborating with their fellow directors and ensuring regulatory compliance.
The association has identified investment, coaching and sustainability, among other areas to help deliver on the strategy.
The group is keen to highlight that any member, regardless of department, can put themselves forward for the role but to stand someone must be nominated and seconded, with a form to be filled out from its website and submitted by Wednesday.
In a statement, BALI says: “This is an opportunity to join the BALI board at an exciting time when governance and the strategic overview of the board and how it contributes to the direction of the association is changing.
“We want to strengthen the diversity of the board and, in turn, become more relevant to our ever-growing membership.”
Elsewhere, BALI is still on the lookout for a new sponsor for its National Landscape Awards, and interested parties are encouraged to put forward their declaration of interest by 30 August 2024.
